Only a handful of patients have received three double-fila transplants at any time, and most of them have done their surgery through Duke Health.
The same was the case for Taylor Stephenson.
The 26 -year -old is currently recovering after undergoing a rare and complex process.
“I was born with cystic fibrosis, but I was eventually diagnosed until I was about 9 months,” Stephennon shared. “My parents were very aggressive with my health and ensuring that I lived on my treatment.”
The 26-year-old Taylor Stephenson is recovering after his third double-fasting transplant at Duke University Hospital.
Stephennson recalled that the curfew was involved at 7 am to take his medicine in strict health Regime.
Stephennson said, “I put my fifth or sixth grade in the hospital.”
Stephenson’s position gradually deteriorated and discovered that he needed his first transplant in 2015.
“I was 16 years old and it was in a pediatric center,” he said. “It lasted for about three and a half years, and I went into rejection in 2019.”
Taylor Stephenson (left), a 26 -year -old patient with cystic fibrosis, is painted with his grandmother (right) after his first transplant.
Stephenson prepared himself to go through this process for the second time. He obtained his second double-fired transplant in 2020.
Eventually, Stephenson’s body also started rejecting those lungs.
“The doctor was like this,” there is no other way to say but you need another transplant. ” I was not ready for this, “he said.
He continued, “By the grace of God, my mother was in an open enrollment on her insurance in her job, so she put me on her insurance.”
Stephenson then began her discovery, where she could undergo a third double-fafade transplant. He sent letters to doctors across the country.
“I didn’t even think the third was an option, I did not know. I had never met someone who had first passed through a third transplant,” he said.
With this process, only three places in the country are being done, many hospitals turned down Stephenson.
“I was very upset, I was destroyed. I did not want to listen. I felt where my life was about to end, ”Stephennon said.
Then, a team of doctors at Duke Health responded to his petition.
Stephennson said he traveled to North Carolina in September for evaluation before receiving green lights for Good in October.
Their process took place on 13 January, causing Stephennon 13th double-fila transplant at Duke University Hospital.
On January 13, 2024, Taylor Stephenson performed his third double-fila transplant at Duke University Hospital.
Dr. John Reynolds is one of the doctors of Stephenson and has worked on a majority of triple double-lung transplant cases through Duke Health.
He said Stephenson “checked a lot of boxes to feel comfortable to accept it for surgery”.
“She was functional, her nutrition was sufficient, there was not much of these other medical problems that would make her difficulty with a redo transplant,” Renolds reported, “the Reynolds explained to her.
Reynolds said that Stephenson’s young age was also a factor.
“An initial transplant is very much work,” said by Reynolds. “When you go back for the second or third time, it can be rapidly challenging. Due to pre -surgery, scarring can occur, we use drugs that we use to prevent rejection, so over time all those cumulative effects can be challenging. ,
Reynolds said why most medical programs often would not make a third transplant.
After his surgery, Stephenson remained on oxygen for about a week. The part of his recovery also requires him to conduct daily physical therapy practice and chart his lung ability with home equipment.
A month after her operation, Stephenson said she feels great.
She said that she is grateful to get a bit back of her freedom now that she is capable of walking and playing with her dog, makes her food, and takes bath without help.
“The fact that they can do a third transplant can be amazing. Science is amazing and Duke is amazing! ” He said.
The patient scanned his first post-proseder on Valentine’s Day, which Stephenson happily shared, “came back clearly for rejection.”
She said she is taking the news as a sign, “The third time attraction!”