USA: The story of Tad Crosslin represents a beacon of hope amidst the harrowing world of terminal illness and organ transplantation. Diagnosed with terminal colorectal cancer that metastasized to his lungs, the Dallas-Fort Worth native was inspired by the transformative power of medical advancement. Undertaking a historic double lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine last September, Crosslin is now the embodiment of a medical miracle, thanks to a groundbreaking procedure known as “lung in the fridge.”
Hailing from a decade-old practice first developed in Canada and Europe, the lung in the fridge technique allows for donor lungs to be stored at 10°C, affording doctors unprecedented flexibility in scheduling transplants. This methodology prolongs the viability of lungs from the conventional six hours to a revolutionary 12 to 18 hours. As a result, it mitigates the frantic urgency previously associated with organ transplantation, allowing surgeries to occur at optimal times rather than during inconvenient late-night hours.
The success of this method is most prominently displayed through Northwestern Medicine’s DREAM program—an acronym for Double lung Replacement and Multidisciplinary Care—the first initiative of its kind. By incorporating lung in a box technology in 2024, DREAM has enhanced the number of viable donor lungs, significantly trimming down the recipient wait time to an average of just four days as compared to the former, more prolonged waits.
Tad Crosslin’s story is not just a testament to personal resilience but also a glimpse into a future where organ banks operate just like blood banks, increasing the donor pool exponentially. After wrestling with cancer for nearly nine years, Crosslin now basks in the relief of being cancer-free, viewing his journey as nothing short of blessed—a promising testament to the winds of change in organ transplantation.
