PATIENT STORY :
WANDA TUNNELL PAYS IT FORWARD BY SUPPORTING OTHER LUNG TRANSPLANT PATIENTS
LUNG
ORGANS – LUNG
OVERVIEW UAB Medicine is one of fewer than 65 lung transplant centers in the nation and among the busiest , having performed some 785 lung and heart / lung transplants since our first over 25 years ago . Our program provides lifesaving care for serious lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis , emphysema , COPD , interstitial lung disease , idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis , pulmonary hypertension , and acute lung injury . We continue to make significant strides in improving patient access and connecting our pulmonary expertise with referring physicians . UAB is home to Alabama ’ s only extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ( ECMO ) program , helping advance research while serving as both a bridge to recovery and a bridge to transplant .
ANNUAL LUNG * TRANSPLANT VOLUMES , 2017-2022
PATIENT STORY :
WANDA TUNNELL PAYS IT FORWARD BY SUPPORTING OTHER LUNG TRANSPLANT PATIENTS
“ I know more about lungs than I ever wanted to ,” said Wanda Tunnell , 65 . The Tuscaloosa , Ala ., resident ’ s double lung transplant in May 2021 was the culmination of a long journey of unanswered questions and terrifying episodes of breathing trouble .
* Includes lung , and heart-lung recipients
Diagnosed in 2005 with adult-onset asthma , Tunnell navigated her condition for 14 years with a combination of asthma medications
Wanda Tunnell and an emergency inhaler .
Then in July 2019 , she was hit with a perfect storm . “ I ’ d been working in a storage building that was hot and dusty ,” she said . “ My emergency inhaler didn ’ t work , and I couldn ’ t breathe .”
Lung damage Admitted to the hospital with a blood oxygen saturation of 62 % – far below the normal level of 95-100 % – Tunnell was at risk for hypoxia , a condition that starves the body ’ s organs of oxygen . While there , she had a lung biopsy and was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ( IPF ).
According to Victoria Rusanov , M . D ., a physician with the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute ( CTI ), IPF is a chronic disease in
22 UAB CTI Report