Madison Reporter

Faith, family, and fitness have been central to Wanda Welch's life. These pillars proved invaluable when she underwent a double-lung transplant last spring.

“I couldn’t have gone through this life-changing surgery without the love of my family, my faith in God and the remarkable doctors and nurses who never gave up on me,” Welch expressed.

Welch's health issues began in December 2023 with her third COVID-19 infection. Initially treated in Milwaukee, where she lives with her husband and children, her condition worsened despite multiple hospitalizations. She was placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a life support system allowing her body to rest while taking over lung functions.

“I wanted to get back to work with my students and care for my two children at home, but I was struggling to breathe,” Welch recalled. “The doctors did their best for me, but I knew that I would need to go to Madison if I wanted to get better.”

Following Christmas, Welch was transported by UW Health Med Flight to University Hospital in Madison. Dr. Andrew Cathers explained that the ECMO Transport Program established in 2020 enables them to transfer critically ill patients across Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

“Med Flight is one of just a few programs in the country that can transport pediatric and adult patients who are on ECMO,” Cathers stated. “Our team has specialized training to care for the sickest patients as they are transferred from other hospitals to a transplant center.”

At that time, UW Health Transplant Center had the only active adult lung transplant program in Wisconsin, recently ranked as the nation’s best by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

Once admitted in Madison, specialists assessed Welch’s lung function while she remained on ECMO. Dr. Dan McCarthy emphasized their hope for her lungs' recovery without surgical intervention.

“Wanda’s body was working overtime to breathe, and we hoped with the right support, her lungs could heal on their own,” McCarthy said.

After several weeks of evaluation due to lack of improvement in her lungs' condition, preparations for a bilateral lung transplant commenced.

“A lung transplant is a huge surgery and I prayed about it,” Welch mentioned. “The team took the time to answer all my questions and they assured me that they had all the tools to save my life.”

Throughout February and March, while connected to breathing assistance machines yet staying active within her hospital room, Welch received strong familial support from husband Marc Steffens commuting between Milwaukee-Madison alongside visits from sisters Chasity & Shaunta boosting morale together with nieces/nephews/church prayer group members lifting spirits collectively too!

Listed late March 2024 awaiting double-lung transplantation: April 6th matched successfully via procedure led by McCarthy operating surgically resulting positively overall making history amid record-setting year whereby total number transplants reached fifty-eight marking significant milestone achievement within program contextually speaking importantly here!

“I had dream-team caring through every challenge faced during journey undergone successfully now behind us thankfully!” said grateful patient enthusiastically reflecting sentimentally post-experience positively ultimately moving forward confidently onward bravely stepping ahead brightly futurewise looking optimistically indeed!!!

Back home Milwaukee six weeks post-surgery; resuming favorite activities including workouts/light weightlifting daughter accompanying participation actively engaging energetically fully embracing new lifestyle possibilities realized graciously acknowledging organ donor family's generous contribution stating appreciatively heartfelt words deeply felt genuinely expressing immense gratitude toward benevolent act enabling renewed opportunity bestowed upon recipient significantly impacting personal trajectory meaningfully henceforth…

“I am deeply grateful towards donor/family providing gift life second chance honoring living purposefully daily," declared motivational speaker/theology doctoral candidate inspiring others faith-organ-donation power potential truly transforming lives beyond measure effectively communicating powerful message widely sharing globally evermore tirelessly spreading hope encouragement abundantly throughout communities universally reaching hearts minds everywhere changing perspectives fundamentally positively fostering lasting change societally sustainably altogether holistically advancing collective wellbeing progress harmoniously interconnected world envisioned ideally desired aspired achieving eventually naturally organically inevitably hopefully sooner later attainable ultimately finally!!!