A 26-year-old woman named Taylor Stephenson has successfully undergone a rare third double lung transplant. Stephenson was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just 9 months old, a life-threatening disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs and other organs. After receiving her first double lung transplant at the age of 16 in 2015, Stephenson experienced complications four years later and discovered that her body had rejected the second pair of lungs. Despite facing rejection from several hospitals due to the rarity of a third double lung transplant, Stephenson was eventually accepted into Duke Health’s transplant program, thanks to the commitment of Dr. John M. Reynolds, a Transplant Pulmonologist.
Stephenson, hailing from Oklahoma, moved to North Carolina to start the process of the transplant all over again and underwent the surgery in January. Since then, she has made remarkable progress, exceeding her nurses’ expectations by walking 50 feet on the day of the surgery and over 200 feet the next day. The Valentine’s Day biopsy confirmed that there had been no rejection. Stephenson expressed gratitude for her smooth transplant experience and described the whole journey as both crazy and amazing. The story of Taylor Stephenson serves as a testament to the advancements in medical science and the resilience of individuals facing life-threatening conditions like cystic fibrosis.
