On Saturday morning (1/26/19), Joyce received a call from UCLA letting her know that they had lungs for her! The call came at 3:47 a.m. and, after a quick shower, Joyce and Dr. Stein were on their way to UCLA. Around 7 a.m. that morning, they let their 5 children know that the call had come and they were currently at UCLA running a lot of tests. At that time, the medical staff had told the Steins that the surgery would not occur until about 4 p.m. that afternoon as the surgeon needed time to adequately assess the donor lungs to make sure they were viable for the transplant. Several of Joyce's children and family members made their way to UCLA to spend time with her and wait for the surgery.
The wait time for the surgery grew longer and longer as the time for the surgery kept getting pushed back. The medical staff had originally said it would happen at 4 p.m. then they said it would happen at 6 p.m. and then it changed again to 12:15 a.m. on Sunday morning. The family spent the time in Joyce's hospital room talking and making the most of their time together as they waited and waited for it to be time for the surgery.
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, Joyce was prepped for surgery. A nurse brought her up to the floor where her operating room would be and she waiting in the hallway for the "all clear" to come from the surgeon so they could push her into the operating room. The family gave hugs and kisses and said their goodbyes in preparation but, to everyone's surprise, Joyce's nurse came out and informed her and the family that she had just received a call from the surgeon saying that the surgery was a "no go". Apparently, the donor lungs were found to have an infection in them and they were deemed not viable. The surgery could not move forward.
Joyce returned home to resume life as normal while she waits for another call to come in. While the events of the weekend brought on a roller coaster of emotions for the family, everyone is grateful that the infection in the donor lungs was found prior to the start of the surgery. UCLA only accepts lungs that are in perfect condition for transplant and, we are thankful that the standard is set high! We know now that Joyce is first in line on the transplant list and, the call could come at any time! The family has now had a "trial-run" as well, and everyone feels grateful that they now know more-or-less what to expect. We are also feeling a deep sense of gratitude to those individuals who have chosen to be a donor. If you a donor, thank you!
As we continue to wait, your continued prayers and support are much appreciated! We will make sure to post any further updates as they arise. Thank you for standing with us during this time. We are truly blessed!