Joey’s Greatest Journey

This is our mom, you may or may not know her as Joey. She is 63 years young, with 4 children and 15 grandchildren varying from the ages 2 years old to 29 years old. She has been known to enjoy a good card or Yahtzee game, casinos or a night at bingo. Mom wouldn’t hesitate to help anyone, she has always been the true giver in her and our family over the years; even now she wouldn’t hesitate to help you or anyone else if she thought she could.

As many of you know 10+ years ago was when Mom’s lung or COPD journey really started. She was intubated for many days due to a COPD exacerbation and has remained on home oxygen since returning from that hospital stay. Many different admissions, another intubation, countless prescriptions and many stressful days after, we had a routine appointment with her respirologist in April of 2022. It was during this appointment that we truly learned the extent of how much worse our mom’s condition had gotten. It was then that he stated without a lung transplant she would be lucky to survive the year with 10 months being more of an accurate figure as her lungs are only functioning at 17%. Each time she is hospitalized and given steroids; her condition worsens.

Fast forward from 2022; to October of 2024 Mom was officially listed as a stage 2 lung candidate. Stage 2 meaning she was placed right in the middle in terms of needing priority. Since then she has been attending physiotherapy at Toronto General Hospital and also twice a week attending Pulmonary Rehab at PRHC.

We enjoyed a great Christmas and right at the top of everyone’s wish list and definitely at the top of mom’s was for her to be given the gift of life.

On January 2nd we attended an appointment at TGH , we made it to the 401 in Whitby when we got what they call “The Call”. I answered the unknown caller via Bluetooth, and mom got that moment. “Joey, we believe we have found a donor match.” The instant gasp that mom let out was wholesome, a genuine feeling of shock, excitement and nervousness all wrapped in one at the sound of what we thought was never going to come. We were placed on standby at home for the night because of the incoming storm, to ensure all parties involved (us, the donor family, the transplant team and surgeons) could arrive to the hospital safely.

“The second call” came on January 3, at 5pm. Telling us to head to the city; we should arrive between 8:00 and 9:00pm, that mom would be prepped and surgery was scheduled for between 6:00 and 8:00am January 4. Arriving on time, they did routine pre-op. Myself, Nicky and Kimmy slept in the lounge to keep close for the night for the sake of mom’s anxiety. Bright and early, at 6 am this morning January 4th we spent the final hour before surgery with mom. The fellowship surgeon came in to go over last minute things, he explained to us that the donor lungs were a perfect match, without any flaws and looked great. 7 am sharp Mom was wheeled into the OR. We were able to walk down with her and send her off gracefully.

Surgery was expected to take between 8-12 hours roughly, just after the 10 hour mark we received the call stating she had been moved to ICU and in recovery. Surgery went as they expected with no major complications. She is heavily sedated right now, and on the ECMO machine to save her energy. Currently in serious but stable condition, the next 24-48 hours are the most critical.

While the journey this far has been long and hard, the journey our whole family will embark on now will be our greatest ever. There currently is no funding for families in Ontario unless you’re relocating to the city in which the surgery has occurred. We understand that Christmas has just passed and times are hard for everyone. We are hoping that through the love and support of all of our family and friends from near and far, that if you have a couple dollars to spare to ease some of the financial burdens we are about to face. Her stay is expected to be between 4-6 weeks at minimum. During this time we will be travelling back and fourth to TGH, each taking turns. We’re asking if at all you can help with gas, parking and any other associated costs that may arise during this time.

If you know our mom, as most do and have for many years. I am sure in some way, shape or form she has influenced or helped you in ways she wouldn’t ever ask thanks for. If you can find it your heart to contribute, pray and send love to our biggest journey yet, we and she will be forever grateful for the new chance at life. Enjoying all the things she might not of been able to without everyone’s love and support.