VIDEO: Nebraska’s First Heart-Lung Transplant- Nebraska Medicine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbemBjviJ7I&feature=share
VIDEO: Press Conference for Maria’s Heart-Lung Transplant- Nebraska Medicine: https://youtu.be/EyHrj68ar2Q
VIDEO: KTIV News Sioux City- http://www.ktiv.com/story/37519852/2018/02/15/faith-plays-big-role-for-wilmes-family-during-medical-journey
Growing up in South Sioux City, Nebraska, Maria was the youngest of seven siblings – all girls. Her parents, Mike and Gina, have owned and operated Wilmes Hardware in South Sioux City, Nebraska, for 30 years. They first noticed something was wrong with Maria at the age of two. “She had a nose bleed one day,” explains Maria’s dad, Mike. “After taking her to the doctor in Sioux City, Iowa, they found a significant heart murmur.”
On Oct. 1, 2004, Maria was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) that was caused by her congenital heart disease known as double inlet left ventricle with transposition of the great vessels. Maria would eventually need a heart-lung transplant so she would have healthy lungs and a structurally normal heart.
“The doctors told us it would be 5 to 10 years,” says Maria’s mom, Gina. “She was busy living life and spending time with family and friends, but in September 2017, Maria’s health started declining. She couldn’t sleep at night – her heart would start racing and her breathing would hurt.”
Maria and her parents sought advice from Scott Fletcher, MD, Maria’s longtime pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. A cardiac catheterization confirmed the progression of her pulmonary vascular disease was getting worse and she likely only had a few months to live. Because Maria and her family wanted the heart-lung transplant to happen close to home, Dr. Fletcher recommended Nebraska Medicine – Nebraska Medical Center, which has performed more than 300 heart transplants since 2005 and revived its Lung Transplant Program in 2015. Nebraska Medicine is one of a few health care networks nationwide to offer all solid organ transplants under one roof.
“When we decided to go this route, there was an initial, ‘they’ve never done a heart-lung transplant before,’” says Gina. “But at the same time, when we met the team at Nebraska Medicine, we felt very at ease. If we had to go to Texas or California for the transplant, it meant uprooting ourselves from family and friends. This way, we’d only be an hour away from home and Mike could still be involved in Maria’s care while managing the hardware store.”
The week of Thanksgiving, Maria’s name was added to the transplant waiting list. On Monday, Dec. 4, Mike went into the hardware store at 6 a.m. and a line of scripture kept playing in his head – fear is useless; what’s needed is trust. After researching the verse online, Mike discovered it came from a story in the Bible where Jesus brings a 12-year-old girl back to life.
“What’s so significant is that night at 5 p.m., Nebraska Medicine called, saying they had found a donor for Maria,” says Mike. “When we were driving down to Omaha, it was a very anxious moment for all of us, but I told Maria that story and said, ‘fear is useless; what’s needed is trust.’”
“The night before we got the phone call, I found Maria sitting up in bed and it was the first time she said to me, ‘Mom, I can’t do this anymore.’ It was heartbreaking,” adds Gina. “During the day, I kept thinking about the donor. Someone is going to have to die in order for Maria to receive this gift. That day, for whatever reason, it weighed heavily on my heart. I found myself praying for them. So that night when we got the call, it was all very surreal.”
Maria spent nearly two weeks at Nebraska Medicine – Nebraska Medical Center following her transplant. She’s now attending pulmonary rehabilitation sessions to regain her physical strength. Maria’s cardiology and pulmonary teams will continue to work together to make sure her heart and lungs stay healthy. Her doctors are hopeful that Maria can return home within the next few months and start living a normal life.
Maria says she’s especially grateful for her organ donor and their family. Without them, Maria isn’t sure where she’d be today. She encourages everyone who is able to become a registered organ donor. Currently, 120,000 Americans are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. In Nebraska, there are nearly 500 people in need of a donor.*
*Courtesy of Nebraska Medicine via Facebook
Follow Maria and her journey on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fightlikefaustina/