Kevin Beale (on left) together with his household that features 2 UVA alums. Beale grew to become an excellent larger Wahoo fan after his lung transplant journey at UVA Well being.
A lifelong tennis participant, Kevin Beale has at all times been in fine condition. However final yr when he reached his mid 60s, he had to surrender his new favourite sport — pickleball. He bought winded simply strolling to get the newspaper. The explanation? Pulmonary fibrosis. He wanted a lung transplant ASAP.
Frequent Reason behind Lung Transplant
Pulmonary fibrosis is the commonest power lung illness that results in lung transplant in the US, says , a thoracic surgeon who carried out Beale’s surgical procedure.
scars the lungs. And the lungs steadily lose their capacity to move oxygen to the remainder of the physique. Typically, we do not know the trigger.
Pulmonary fibrosis can’t be cured. Specialists can normally deal with it with medicine, however Beale had a extreme kind. His solely probability was a brand new set of lungs from a donor.
Getting Beale New Lungs ASAP
Final April, barely capable of breathe, Beale ended up within the ER close to his dwelling in Richmond. As quickly as a hospital mattress grew to become obtainable at UVA Well being, Beale was transferred to Charlottesville. Right here, he met the .
“It was fairly a shock to him, the phrase ‘transplant’ even. He wasn’t conscious that was one thing he was going to wish within the short-term interval,” says , medical director of the UVA Well being .
However she defined to Beale and his household, “You have got a lung illness that is deadly. And sadly, your illness is progressing at a quick tempo. If we do not transfer quick, it might outpace your capacity to have the ability to get a lung transplant.”
April is Donate Life month. Grow to be .
With New Lungs, Again to Pickleball Courtroom
The transplant staff moved rapidly. They bought Beale by means of many pre-transplant checks and steps. By final April 28, he bought on the organ wait checklist. Then on June 9, transplant surgeons gave him a brand new set of lungs. He joins the greater than 600 individuals who’ve had a lung transplant at UVA Well being.
At the moment, Beale not wants an oxygen tank to breathe. And he is again on the pickleball courts.
“The whole transplant staff has been fantastic,” Beale says.
He provides, “I used to be very fortunate. And I bought a fantastic set of lungs. Now I’m working at retaining them going.”
Meet Kevin Beale and his outstanding lung transplant staff