LEXINGTON —
After years of waiting, the prayers of one McCreary County family were answered earlier this month with an incredible gift.
Paige West, the daughter of Shannon “Bud” and Tiffeny West of Rosstown, is currently at the University of Kentucky Medical Center recuperating from a double-lung transplant she received on July 7.
The 17-year-old has struggled with cystic fibrosis (CF) since birth.
The inherited disease also affects Paige’s older sister Whitney as well as two cousins, although to a lesser extent.
CF is caused by a defective gene which tells the body to produce abnormally thick mucus which builds up in the lungs as well as the pancreas, where it interferes with the digestion of food.
By the time Paige was 12, she had lost 60 percent of her lung function. Doctors at UK recommended a transplant at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The family periodically traveled to Missouri so Paige could be evaluated but it wasn’t until May of this year that she was placed on the “active list” to receive a transplant.
By this time, the UK Transplant Center had acquired Dr. Charles Hoopes from the University of California in San Diego. Dr. Hoopes is one of the few surgeons in the national who regularly performs heart and lung transplants as well as artificial implants. Paige’s doctor in St. Louis suggested that she might be able to have her surgery closer to home.
“It was Paige’s decision,” paternal grandmother Pernie West said. “She had two friends to get their transplants at UK so she wanted to go for it.”
The moment arrived with news that a donor had been found. The family knows nothing about the circumstances which led to their miracle, except that the donor was a 15-year-old boy.
“The family who lost that loved one needs our prayers,” Pernie told The Record. “We have to remember that God is over it all.”
The family has felt His influence throughout the whole process. What should have been a 12-hour surgery took only five and a half. Pernie noted that Paige was walking and texting her friends the next day. Apart from some medication adjustments, Paige has continued to improve.
“She’s amazing,” Pernie said. “She’s talking about all the things she wants to do that she couldn’t before, like swimming and running.”
For now, Paige remains under observation but she isn’t alone. Her sister has also been admitted for a routine CF treatment as she prepares for her first semester at Eastern Kentucky University this fall.
Paige will also have to continue treatments in order to keep her new lungs clear. In the meantime, her family is gearing up to celebrate her homecoming.
“She’s always said, ‘Keep the faith…that’s all it takes,’” Pernie said. “Paige has a lot of faith. She owes it all to God.”
Local News
Related Photos
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Paige West underwent a double-lung transplant earlier this month. The 17-year-old is recovering at UK Medical Center. Courtesy Brooke Duncan
Keeping the Faith
Local teen receives double lung transplant
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