Woman recovering after receiving her third double-lung transplant at Duke Health

Only a handful of patients have ever received three double-lung transplants, and most of them have had their surgeries done through Duke Health.

That was also the case for Taylor Stephenson.

The 26-year-old is currently recovering after undergoing the rare and complex procedure.

“I was born with cystic fibrosis, but I was ultimately diagnosed until I was about 9 months,” Stephenson shared. “My parents were very aggressive with my health and making sure I stayed on my treatments.”

Stephenson recalled the strict health regimen included a 7 p.m. curfew to take her medication.

“I didn’t start getting put into the hospital until my fifth or sixth-grade year,” Stephenson said.

Stephenson’s condition slowly worsened and she learned she needed her first transplant in 2015.

“I was 16 and it was at a pediatric center,” she said. “It lasted about three-and-a-half years, and I went into rejection in 2019.”

Stephenson then prepared herself to go through the process a second time. She received her second double-lung transplant in 2020.

Eventually, Stephenson's body started rejecting those lungs too.

“The doctor was like, ‘There’s no other way to say this but you need another transplant.’ I wasn’t prepared for it whatsoever,” she said.

She continued, “By the grace of God, my mom was in open enrollment on her insurance at her job so she put me on her insurance.”

Stephenson then began her search for where she could undergo a third double-lung transplant. She sent letters to doctors across the country.

“I didn’t even think thirds were an option, I had no idea. I had never met someone who had gone through a third transplant before,” she said.

With the procedure only being done at just three places in the country, many hospitals turned Stephenson down.

“I was so upset, I was devastated. I didn’t want to hear no. I thought that’s where my life was going to end,” Stephenson said.

Then, a team of doctors at Duke Health answered her plea.

Stephenson said she traveled to North Carolina in September for an evaluation before getting the green light to return for good in October.

Her procedure took place on Jan. 13, making Stephenson the 13th patient to have a third double-lung transplant at Duke University Hospital.

Dr. John Reynolds is one of Stephenson’s doctors and has worked on the majority of the triple double-lung transplant cases through Duke Health.

He said Stephenson “checked a lot of the boxes” required to feel comfortable admitting her for surgery.

“She was functional, her nutrition was adequate, she didn’t have a lot of these other medical problems that would give her difficulty with a redo transplant,” Reynolds explained.

Reynolds said Stephenson’s younger age was also a factor.

“An initial transplant is a lot of work,” Reynolds said. “When you go back in a second or third time, it can be increasingly challenging. Because of prior surgeries, there can be scarring, the medications we use to prevent rejection, so over time all of those cumulative effects can be challenging.”

Reynolds said that’s often why most medical programs won’t do a third transplant.

After her surgery, Stephenson stayed on oxygen for about a week. Part of her recovery also requires her to do daily physical therapy exercises and chart her lung capacity with at-home devices.

A little over a month after her operation, Stephenson said she feels great.

She said she is grateful to have a bit of her independence back now that she is able to walk and play with her dog by herself, make her own food, and shower without assistance.

“The fact they can do a third transplant is amazing. Science is amazing and Duke is amazing!” she exclaimed.

The patient had her first post-procedure scans on Valentine’s Day which Stephenson happily shared, “came back clear of rejection.”

She said she’s taking the news as a sign, “third time’s the charm!”