http://syn2.thecanadianpress.com:8080/mrss/feed/fcf7391a2f354311807f0501c16bde6a MSN - AP World Copyright © 2010-2018 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved. http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Sat, 05 Jul 2025 19:29:49 +0000 http://syn2.thecanadianpress.com:8080/mrss/feed/fcf7391a2f354311807f0501c16bde6a/faae36d6aa324e769fdcb8ae7b693d21 The recipient of the first known COVID-to-COVID double lung transplant says he feels 'wonderful' and is grateful to be alive after getting lungs from a donor who had recovered from COVID. (May 14) faae36d6aa324e769fdcb8ae7b693d21 Fri, 14 May 2021 20:49:51 +0000 SHOTLIST:RESTRICTION SUMMARY:ASSOCIATED PRESSChicago - 14 May 2021++STARTS ON SOUNDBITE++1. SOUNDBITE (English) Renato Aquino, lung transplant recipient:"I feel wonderful!"++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Ankit Bharat, Director, Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program:"He's the first known patient in the United States to receive a COVID to COVID double lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine."++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++3. SOUNDBITE (English) Renato Aquino, lung transplant recipient:"Here I am. Thank you. I'm alive."++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Ankit Bharat, Director, Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program:"On multiple occasions, Renato's family was told to say their final goodbyes and start, and to start making funeral arrangements."++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tasha Sundstrom, transplant recipient's niece:"I actually went to the funeral home. I did all the arrangements, and then the next day he proved us wrong. He wanted to live."++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Ankit Bharat, Director, Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program:"We received a call that lungs were available from a donor who previously had a mild to moderate COVID. But that donor's death was unrelated to COVID."++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Rafael Garza-Castillon, Northwestern Medicine:"It was confirmed that the virus had been eradicated from the donor lungs and the lung framework and architecture were normal."++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++ 8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Ankit Bharat, Director, Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program:"If we said no to those, those patients from being organ donors, then we're just not going to have enough organs to save lives."++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++STORYLINE:  The recipient of the first known "COVID-to-COVID" double lung transplant shared his story at a news conference hosted by Northwestern Medicine exactly a year after he drove himself to the hospital for shortness of breath due to COVID-19.Renato Aquino, 65, was working as a phlebotomist caring for patients when he came down with a case of the virus so severe it destroyed his lungs and nearly killed him. The double lung transplant was performed on February 25 using lungs from a donor who had previously had COVID and cleared the virus before dying from an unrelated cause. The donor's lungs did not have permanent damage from COVID.Renato was "running out of options and running out of time," said Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery and surgical director of the Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program, who performed the procedure. When the team at Northwestern got the call that lungs were available from a donor who previously had the virus, they knew a 'COVID to COVID' lung transplant was his best shot at survival.After spending one week on the transplant wait-list, Renato received beautiful, healthy lungs - marking a new milestone for lung transplantation. ===========================================================Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. The recipient of the first known COVID-to-COVID double lung transplant says he feels 'wonderful' and is grateful to be alive after getting lungs from a donor who had recovered from COVID. (May 14) 'COVID to COVID' lung transplant patient grateful