Krystal received her double lung transplant on 1/19/2019, she left the hospital on 2/13/2019, she is doing better each day. She has to go to follow up clinic visits twice a week for lab work and chest xrays to make sure everything is moving forward and every now and then she will have to have a bronc and a procedure that extracts fluid build up around the lungs, she also has to go to rehab twice a week to strenghthen her body and her new lungs. We are very thankful for everyone’s prayers and support.

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This is Krystal Paigo, and this is her story. She is 35 years old and has Cystic Fibrosis. On the outside she looks just like anyone else, but on the inside this progressive fatal lung disease is slowly taking her life. Krystal was diagnosed at 7 months old and has been fighting this terminal illness her whole life with strength and determination, pushing through every obstacle this disease has put in front of her.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up thick mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. Other signs and symptoms may include sinus infections, poor growth, fatty stool, or clubbing of the fingers and toes. Different people may have different degrees of symptoms.

There is no known cure for cystic fibrosis, but with hospital stays twice a year, which she calls “clean outs”, and the use of harsh antibiotics administered through a port in her chest, she has been able to keep her lungs sustained up to this point. She feels very blessed to still be here, since this disease is considered a pediatric disease and most CF patients don’t make it past their adolescent years. Unfortunately, her CF lungs have taken her as far as they can. She is thankful, but they’re no longer able to give her the amount of oxygen she needs to live a longer life. She has been dealing with this illness every day and trying to live life as normally as she can, not letting CF define who she is, but this last year she ended up in the hospital twice in less than 3 months. After getting out the first time thinking she was well enough to go back to school, she was quickly confronted with the reality that she could do nothing without being short of breath. Her lung capacity had dropped to 24% and she ended up back in the hospital for a month. She always knew in the back of her mind that someday this would happen … she just hoped that day would never come. For those of you who know Krystal you know that she has a huge heart for people and animals and that she is a strong person always wanting to help others. Through this whole process she has loved a little harder and lived a little louder and does not take a single thing in this life for granted. Putting this out there for the world to see is a very humbling and scary thing for her to do … she’s a very independent person and has been trying to fight this disease by herself, not wanting anyone to see her as any different than anyone else.

She is hoping to get on the lung transplant list this January, and is now in the process of going through all of the evaluation testing to see if she qualifies. This is considered the last option for CF patients because there are so many risks and uncertainties, but to her just to be able to breathe in a full breath of air will all be worth it. Part of the process for the transplant is making sure she has a good support network in place. This includes not only people who can be caretakers, but also emotional and financial support for all the in between moments. We will be traveling back and forth to Phoenix, AZ, several times before and after the transplant. As of right now her lung capacity is at 20% and she is on oxygen 24/7. We would be forever grateful for your prayers and donations to COTA in honor of Krystal to help her through this process.

Thank you & God Bless

Her hope is that one day CF will stand for Cure Found!

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA is the nation’s only fundraising organization solely dedicated to raising life-saving dollars in honor of transplant-needy children and young adults. 100% of each contribution made to COTA in honor of our patients helps meet transplant-related expenses. COTA’s services are free to our families, and gifts to COTA are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.