Lindsay Forsyth Brochu of Almonte is no stranger to transplant surgery. In 2018 she was diagnosed with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, a rare and severe type of pulmonary hypertension that is debilitating and eventually fatal. Lindsay explains what the condition means.
She received her first double-lung transplant in June of 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. In less than a year her body started to show signs of rejection and created its own antibody that delayed another transplant for over 4 years. Lindsay recapped what the second transplant was like.
There wasn’t a need to put Lindsay on any type bypass machine for her lungs. Once the team of surgeons transplanted her right lung, it took right away allowing them to do her left lung without any extra support; a true indication of the match for Lindsay’s body. Her recovery was only 3 weeks, half of the first surgery’s. She currently stays with her parents in Beamsville to be closer to the hospital for follow-ups and therapy. She calls her transplant a Christmas Miracle. Lindsay has a clear message for those who haven’t signed up to be an organ donor.
The website for organ donation information and registration is beadonor.ca. You can hear our complete conversation with Lindsay below.
Story by Brian Turner
