After waiting for 15 years for a double lung transplant, Annie Walsh’s dream came true on October 3, 2019 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Since 2004, Annie had been living with a rare lung disease called Bronchiolitis Obliterans and most recently only had 17% lung function. In 2004, Annie was listed for a double lung transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital and then transferred her care to Brigham and Women’s Hospital and became listed there in October 2018. Annie was dependent on oxygen, required a feeding tube to maintain her weight and has been unable to work for the last three years. Annie has had to live with her parents, Mark and Sue, her sole caregivers, in order to be able to survive while waiting for her double lung transplant.

Annie spent 3 weeks at Brigham and Women’s Hospital after her transplant, 4 days in the thoracic ICU, and 17 days in the thoracic step down unit. Annie was discharged on October 22, 2019 and has been recovering well, however in the world of lung transplantation things can change very quickly. Having had a double lung transplant, Annie is now and always will be on many immunosuppression medications and multiple antibiotics which have just about erased her immune system. Because of this, Annie is now extremely susceptible to contracting infections which could be detrimental to her and her new lungs. The first year is considered the most dangerous for transplant patients as organ rejection is very common and would require hospitalization.

After receiving her long-awaited double lung transplant many opportunities will be available to Annie that weren’t before now that she has a healthy set of lungs. Annie is still moving through the very early stages of post-transplant life. This includes Annie and her parents traveling to Boston for weekly transplant clinic appointments. Traveling to Boston weekly for the foreseeable future, will add a financial strain on Annie and her parents as her dad has to take time off from work and her mom is no longer able to continue her in-home preschool art and nature program. Annie spent three weeks in the hospital recovering from her transplant, and during that time her dad was out of work without pay as well as her parents were living in hotels near the hospital for three weeks.

As of now, the doctors are happy with Annie’s continued improvement, but they stress that it will take months even up to a year for Annie to be fully healed and feeling normal. Annie and her family are so grateful for the support and love that has been shown to them since Annie’s lung transplant.

Donations to Annie’s GoFundMe will help the Walsh family tremendously. They have experienced a huge loss of family income, and expenses related to Annie’s medical needs have increased significantly. There are many “unknowns” that transplant families have to be ready for at any moment, and your donation(s) will help to give Annie and her family peace of mind as they navigate life now, post-double lung transplant.

Annie is now breathing deep breaths without supplemental oxygen, continuing to gain strength each day and is so grateful to her donor and their family for allowing her a second chance at life.