Does my niece, Alison, ever know how to kick off the new year with a bang!! Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011 will be a day our family and friends will remember for years into the future because it will mark the day Alison got the call that donor lungs became available for transplant into her 23-year-old body.
Just before 4 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 6, Alison was wheeled into surgery to begin the process of receiving the donor lungs she hopes will provide her with a breath of life like she hasn't experienced in a number of years.
Shortly after 12 noon, Alison was brought out of surgery and into recovery. There was one complication during the procedure in that the blood vessels connected to her damaged left lung, had narrowed to the size of a pencil. When put in place, her new left lung struggled to pump blood through the too-small tissues. She was placed on a bypass machine until the surgeons were satisfied they could proceed with attaching her new donor lungs to her cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. We hope you'll join us in praying the donor lungs won't be rejected and the procedure will be successful.
We also pray for the donor family. We trust they will be comforted with the knowledge they have provided hope for several people in need of functioning organs like the lungs being transplanted into Alison, today.
The photo above was taken for the Garvin Christmas card, with Alison removing the cannula that provided her oxygen, just long enough for her Mom to snap three or four shots. The dog, Bella, is a new addition to the family, this summer.
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