News — MAYWOOD, IL – Two women who attend the same church and have been praying for one another to find a match, recently received transplants at Loyola University Medical Center just three days apart.
Donna had been on the waitlist for a lung transplant list for three years when she received a call from Loyola She received a bilateral lung transplant on July 6 and woke up to the news that her friend, Erin, was in the very same hospital receiving a heart transplant.
Erin had been waiting for a new heart and a kidney for more than a year. She was celebrating her late brother's birthday when she received the emotional call. "My brother's birthday is a very special day for me, we lost him to lung cancer," said Erin. "Finding out I was going to get a heart and kidney on that day was very special." She received her heart transplant on July 9 and her kidney transplant the following day.
The women, both mothers with close-knit families, who attend the same church in Kankakee, now have a surgeon in common.
"I've been doing transplant surgeries for more than 20 years," said Edwin McGee, MD. "Sometimes patients waiting for the same type of organ become friends through clinics or hospital visits. Two patients who are friends from home and need different sets of organs is something we don't often see."
Both women had experienced the disappointment of getting the call about an organ that was not viable or able to be transplanted. They prayed for one another to find donors and leaned on one another during hard times. Their families have become involved in each other's care with each woman's mother visiting the other person's bedside while they recover. They see this experience as a miracle.
"Family and communal support are crucial in these circumstances, said Dr. McGee. "What these women are going through is more than just taking medications and getting surgeries. Mindset, attitude, faith and having people to lean on are so important."
"It's the beginning of an amazing friendship," said Donna. Erin and Donna have returned home and will continue to visit Loyola for frequent follow-ups. Both women are eager to share their stories to inspire people on the transplant waitlist not to give up hope.
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About Loyola Medicine
, a member of , is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago's western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes (LUMC), , , as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from nearly 2,000 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties. LUMC is a 547-licensed-bed hospital in Maywood that includes the , the , the John L. Keeley, MD, Emergency Department, a Level 1 , Illinois's largest , a certified , and a . Having delivered compassionate care for over 50 years, Loyola also trains the next generation of caregivers through its academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago’s and . Established in 1961, is a 247-licensed-bed community hospital in Melrose Park that includes the Judd A. Weinberg Emergency Department, the , , , a transitional care center, and . is a 374-licensed-bed teaching hospital in Berwyn with advanced medical, surgical and psychiatric services and a 68-bed behavioral health program.
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About Trinity Health
is one of the largest not-for-profit, Catholic health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 121,000 colleagues and nearly 36,500 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 27 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 101 hospitals, 126 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 136 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. In fiscal year 2023, the Livonia, Michigan-based health system invested $1.5 billion in its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. For more information, visit us at , or follow us on , , and
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