Sarah Murnahan Receives Second Lung Transplant

This is a special group. Report from ABC news. I'm Dan pepper in New York where this ABC news digital special report and odd twist in this story Sarah murder hand. We have learned today that the ten... See More

This is a special group. Report from ABC news. I'm Dan pepper in New York where this ABC news digital special report and odd twist in this story Sarah murder hand. We have learned today that the ten year old girl whose family fought for and won the right for her to receive -- transplant from an adult donor. Has received a second set of lungs after the first transplant failed. Today we are told she is still breathing with the help of a machine but. Is making good progress here's Sarah's mother Janet -- -- speaking just moments ago. Thank you guys have had the chance to read everything. -- running asking questions. Let the best approach. Yeah very -- Absolutely. Get dressed rather fat so we put out a press release unseen and everything has gone -- isn't sat down last night after -- in the end. That -- -- -- while they were transition stand back LaBrandon. My husband and my sister and I had gone briefly to see her. And they were settling -- and it's we have been told to go back to the waiting for him and I'm her transplant doctor was gonna come and talk to us. -- So he came back -- -- said he you know needing permission to do -- -- -- because -- was struggling a little morning wanted to make sure why. Einstein never mention -- -- a -- and about five minutes later and we're sitting fairly far down the hall from where her readiness. Time they called a code blue. Doesn't it make my heart stopped and it's not my house. So finally. Ran down the hallway and found out. Her -- for whatever reason we're going into rapid -- And never about thirty people in the resume and -- -- -- -- outside the room complex. I'm waiting to -- Sound and actors are telling us that the first and second lung transplants don't have anything to do -- each other that. -- the first transplant based on pathology was a donor issue. We had it you know because there was a second cancer ally -- was in nineteen well me. Accepted donor lungs and you -- in -- -- needs to man what you would exacts is different than what you had accepted your dad was relatively healthy. And snow what happened was we were willing to accept marginal -- In that moment because we knew we needed to survive. So the only accepted the first -- -- -- we knew they were marched along this. And just we're so thankful for -- the possibility percent. And some what happened was a donor -- -- Conduct that can happen when -- -- marched along. The second time around we also accepted -- lungs again we have. Between the first and second transplant three days. Her body didn't reject them. Not -- is evident in the pathology that it wasn't a donor issue. It was a rejection as it's called primary graft failure so rejection is an issue that happens and transplant it happens further down around the primary graft failure primary graft dysfunction happens in the first three -- -- And they don't always know why. But they have run -- on on Sarah's -- nonsense that it was a donor specific issue and had to do with the fact that we. -- of marginal lungs because we were in that position of being so sex. That we just we needed lines. I'm. -- doctors direct recommended that first nights that she immediately be relaxed and and innocent Chris turf for -- -- based on their new -- -- And -- it was immediately told where do you think told bad it was such rapid decline non impact not just race -- it was the fastest decline fifteen and 23 years. Line that. It was an obvious thing that's needed to relax. -- -- -- -- that same night so I'm it was so good lungs we got on Wednesday fifteenth and we rely instead of late that evening on the fifteenth. Non and then on Friday they got the call I had asked them because of the emotional roller -- I had -- you know one. If we get another offer please don't. Tell me and so -- ago because. In this process when you get offered lungs a lot of things have been right up until the and -- -- -- and non-GAAP and we knew that it -- her only hope to get another satellite so. We found out on -- -- Only a couple of hours before. Before she went into transcend that they had another donor and we're told at this donor was also hiring. The donor lungs had pneumonia. And that -- was on a machine called BA act now what chance of machine that it's a bypass machine it circulates your blood and outside your body. Doing the work of your heart and on your lives. And so we're told that there was a 50% chance that she -- dying in the surgery. -- but we were told that there was one in A million chance she would live and -- what should happen. No. We didn't feel like there was a lot of decisions to make better results scary but it seems very clear that we needed to go -- and take this -- Yes there are also lungs from someone who was twelve -- -- We didn't happen to anyone whose father homer show the way that that twelve older I'm less works is -- the sickest. I mean you've got flung his and that you get in LES -- and it doesn't matter how long you're on the last. No we just listed again as a twelve year old mom -- -- -- innocent this time newness. Did the -- that was a close the first time when we -- back court order on this time we randomly got -- approval for Internet service system. That nice -- They don't tell us anything about the donors and now at some real privacy thing -- I know nothing I don't know if it's a man and woman dean I don't know what state dinner comes from. Com I know nothing about it I just know that they're long Somerville and well. Good and a nine one uninteresting things up that is there as long as needed to be resides because they -- -- and so wanted to think -- the straight and was. And so that -- an onion side. In her lungs and he reception -- and a -- that limits the pneumonia. So he's not like that eliminated that as a real -- And -- felt like the biggest risk post surgery was just that here had a -- -- head on about one lung transplant. I've been on. The act now bypassed for several days this is not without rest and -- and had turns around and on the second thing. They felt like the rest was just Sarah's body and ability. To do -- They're below the world -- good games then your. Located throughout the -- Yes. Why this -- All right. Sure. Well this all happened very fast and we weren't expecting and and Franklin and we're -- -- those three days that she was gonna die. And so. It was never something that we didn't want it to keep the secret for any period of time that it was something that we felt like -- -- moments. Com we weren't prepared to live out her dying. And public. Come and that's the real. Situation we -- And so we wanted to wait instantly got to a place where we -- like. There was more hope this never told for a long time. Do you think coming out of that second transplant they left her chest completely -- And I sang completely abandoned like to -- -- by the whole entire -- Under a bandage -- -- your heart beating her lungs rising because she was so swollen. From did you procedures. So for a long time. It was very tenuous situation and so we really not like that part. What's hard to share it was hard to be sort of public and your morning and the idea that you're losing your -- -- and -- in the progress of her daughter ten year old Sarah -- now breathing. With the machine after receiving a second set of adult lungs. Sarah suffers from severe cystic fibrosis and was in dire need for a transplant. And as we've been hearing from some of the reporters' questions there is a case that has certainly grabbed a lot of attention because. This situation so dire fact that it required surgery placed on the list for adult lung transplants. Captured a lot of attention and a lot of hoping now that the second set of lungs -- proved to be successful after the first. Had failed. Course we have a complete recap on abcnews.com. For non Dan -- in New York with this ABC news digital special report. This has been a special report from me.