October is Healthy Lung Month, an observance dedicated to raising awareness about lung health and encourage people to take steps to maintain healthy lungs. Currently, nearly 1,000 people in the United States are on the waitlist for a lifesaving lung transplant. This requires lung transplant surgery. According to the Organ Procurement Transplant Network, so far in 2024, 30 lung transplants have been performed in Colorado. Nine people in Colorado and Wyoming continue to wait for a lung transplant.
When is a lung transplant needed?
When medication and breathing devices can no longer support damaged lungs or when a patient’s lung function becomes life-threatening, the patient will need a transplant. Donate Life America explains how there are many diseases that can damage lungs enough to need a transplant. Diseases include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, scarring of the lungs, cystic fibrosis, sarcoidosis with advanced fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension. Unhealthy or damaged lungs can make it difficult for the body to get the oxygen it needs to survive.
Transplant process:
Step 1: Transplant Evaluation
Before a transplant, a person must undergo an evaluation to determine if they qualify. This includes both physical health tests and emotional well-being assessments.
Step 2: Lung Allocation Score
If a person qualifies for a transplant, the system assigns them a score that determines their place on the waiting list, known as the Lung Allocation Score (LAS). Many things play a part in this score, including severity of disease and organ function, age, etc.
Step 3: Waiting List Placement
After evaluators assess someone, that person will receive their placement on the waitlist. Position on the waitlist can fluctuate depending on many factors, such as if someone lower on the list is a better match than someone up higher, the way a person’s health changes, and more.
Step 4: Transplant Surgery
Once a match is made, people on the waitlist will go into surgery. The length of the surgery will depend on whether the person is receiving a single or double lung transplant.
Step 5: Post-Transplant
Following lung transplant surgery, there are many things the recipient will need to pay attention to. First, the recipient will start taking medications including anti-rejection medications. Depending on how long it takes the recipient to heal and adjust to the new lungs, they can spend up to a few weeks in the hospital. Diet, exercise, and pain management following the transplant are very important to pay attention to as well.
Meet Dean, double lung transplant recipient:
Dean Hutto, of Highlands Ranch, is a double lung recipient. Thanks to his generous donor and their family for saying “yes” to organ donation almost 10 years ago, he has been able to live life to the fullest. Dean has also become a Donor Alliance Advocate for Life volunteer to educate and inspire people to register. “I pray every day for my courageous donor family. Just think of all the life events that I’ve been able to experience with my new lungs. My kids are all grown up and beginning families. I am so grateful for the gift I received. Please say YES to organ, eye and tissue donation. Get that heart on your driver license.” – Dean
Did you know signing up to be an organ, eye and tissue donor means you have the potential to donate and save someone who needs a lung transplant? One person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal up to 75 lives through tissue donation. Show your support for Healthy Lung Month and to all of the members of our community who are suffering from lung disease. Give hope to those waiting for a lifesaving lung transplant and register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. Signing up is easy! Check the box and say ‘Yes’ the next time you get your driver license or state ID or register today at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.
“Take Jake” is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the importance of organ and tissue donation. A Donor Alliance Advocate for Life founded the “Take Jake” organization in honor of her son, Jake, who saved six lives through organ donation after he passed. The “Take Jake” Car and Bike Show keeps Jake’s legacy alive and his love for cars. The event is free to attend and will include food, raffles, and fall activities. Proceeds will support Brent’s Place and the Gift of Life Scholarship at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Bone marrow transplants, also known as a stem cell transplant, are sometimes the only line of treatment for patients facing blood cancers and other diseases. Especially diseases that compromise the body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells. Replacing damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells restores the body’s ability to generate red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These are essential for treating more than 75 diseases, including multiple types of leukemias, lymphomas, and other blood disorders.
Previously, living donors were the only means for obtaining a bone marrow transplant, relying on individuals registering themselves as donors. Registered donors had to order a cheek swab kit, submit their results, and enter a donor registry database where a match could potentially be found for a patient in need.
Now, thanks to a pioneering partnership between Donor Alliance and Ossium Health, the potential for bone marrow donation has expanded. This collaboration allows recovery of bone marrow from organ and tissue donors, expanding the donor pool beyond living donors and giving more people hope, including those suffering from blood diseases.
What is a Bone Marrow Transplant?
Bone marrow, located within the bones, produces stem cells that develop into blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen. White blood cells fight infection. While platelets control bleeding. Blood diseases can compromise bone marrow, leaving the body unable to sustain healthy blood cell production.
A bone marrow transplant infuses a patient with healthy stem cells, which can take over the function of producing vital blood cells. This is especially critical for patients undergoing aggressive treatments like chemotherapy, which can damage their bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant is a highly effective treatment, and for many, it’s the only curative option.
Types of Bone Marrow Transplants
There are two main types of bone marrow transplants:
- Autologous Transplant: In an autologous transplant, doctors collect and store the patient’s own stem cells before treatments like chemotherapy. This approach helps eliminate concerns about donor compatibility since there’s no risk of rejection or mismatch. For this approach, the body must be producing enough healthy bone marrow cells that can be gathered, frozen, and preserved for future use.
- Allogeneic Transplant: This type of stem cell transplant involves using healthy blood stem cells from a donor. It replaces bone marrow not producing enough healthy blood cells. The stem cells can be collected from the donor’s blood, bone marrow within the hipbone, or from a donated umbilical cord. Matching the donor cells is critical to reduce the risk of complications and rejection.
The Role of Donor Registries and Matching
Matching donors to transplant recipients is crucial, particularly for allogeneic transplants. Registries like NMDP (formerly Be the Match) help connect patients with suitable donors. They often focus on younger donors (typically between 18-40 years old) due to their stem cells’ higher effectiveness.
However, finding a match isn’t always easy, especially for those from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Increasing donor diversity remains a critical goal for improving transplant success rates for underrepresented communities.
Innovative Cell Recovery Through Organ Donation
The partnership between Donor Alliance and Ossium Health is a big step forward in bone marrow transplants. Together, we are finding new ways to make organ and tissue donations go even further through bone marrow. This means more people will have a chance to find the match they need for lifesaving treatment. By combining bone marrow transplants with organ and tissue donation, they are giving hope to more people and saving and healing more lives.
Stop by our Donate Life Colorado table to grab a treat (no tricks!) and learn more about saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation at Butterfly Pavilion’s annual Bug-A-Boo extravaganza! Each year, families from across Colorado gather to enjoy this safe, stress-free event. Children of all ages are invited to visit in costume during the last two weekends of October and visit different stations throughout the Butterfly Pavilion.
