A second chance at adventure after lung transplant

Transplant gives patient another six and a half healthy years

Jenny Simpson was an adventurous spirit – the kind of person who would try anything once and met life’s challenges with equanimity and calm. Jenny loved her family and friends dearly and was very giving. A resident of Richmond, VA, she worked at Giant Food for 35 years, starting as a cashier and working her way into management before her health forced her to retire.

“There are a lot of words that come to mind when I think of my mom and perseverance is definitely one of them,” said Jenny’s daughter, Missy Hertless. Although Jenny had advanced lung disease, she didn’t let that stop her from having adventures. Missy remembered a weekend Jenny spent on a river with her family – and even though she was on oxygen by that point, when Missy asked if she wanted to ride a jet ski, Jenny said, “absolutely!”

“She didn’t hesitate to get on that jet ski. She just loved it,” Missy recalled. “She realized how precious those moments and experiences were.”

Faith was a cornerstone of Jenny’s life, shaping her personality and giving her strength to face every challenge including health difficulties. “Her faith gave her patience and hope, as she remained steadfast in the belief that everything would work out in time,” Missy said. Jenny often reminded her family and loved ones that “God’s got this.” Her unwavering faith inspired those around her to find their own courage in the face of adversity.

The road to lung transplant

Jenny had a history of smoking and had tried to quit for years. She also had a family history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which had claimed the life of Jenny’s own mother, as well as several other family members. In 1992, at the age of 40, Jenny was diagnosed with emphysema and COPD herself. She quit smoking a few years later, inspired by the arrival of her first grandchild, but by that point, the disease had already begun to take hold.

In 2012, when Jenny was 60, her COPD was getting worse, and she was put on oxygen. By 2016, her lung disease had advanced to the point where she came to Inova to be evaluated, and she was added to the transplant list, where she waited for a year. During that time, Jenny was becoming weaker, and it was harder and harder to do everyday activities. Nevertheless, she participated in pulmonary rehabilitation and continued to exercise as much as she could, with the goal of becoming as healthy as possible in order to be ready for surgery.

Starting a new chapter with a new lung

The call she had been waiting for came on July 27, 2017, when Jenny’s lung capacity was down to just 11%. Jenny and Missy traveled up to Inova, and she received a single lung transplant the following day. Over the next three months, Jenny recovered at Inova, connecting with her care team and even forming a friendship with another Richmond resident who had gotten a lung transplant a few weeks before Jenny had. This new friendship continued after both women returned to Richmond. They formed an unofficial two-person support group, talking on the phone regularly, encouraging each other and meeting for lunch occasionally.

The first 18 months after transplant were tough, but Jenny persevered. “We often say transplant is like a roller coaster,” said Lauren Marinak, NP, inpatient nurse practitioner with Inova’s advanced lung disease team. Jenny had several readmissions to the hospital during this time.

“Almost every one of our program’s physicians was involved in her care, as she had several hospital admissions in addition to the transplant itself. It was truly a multidisciplinary team effort, and it allowed Jenny to have more than six good years with her loved ones,” said Shambhu Aryal, MD, Medical Director of the Inova Lung Transplant Program and Inova Sarcoidosis Center.

She continued to exercise, walking and biking around the neighborhood, and she followed her care team’s instructions to the letter. The lung transplant enabled her to enjoy six and a half more years oxygen-free. Jenny used that time to the fullest, fitting in more beach trips, more time with family, and more time serving with her church. “Her attitude was, ‘I’m going to do any and everything I can in these next few years.’ And she lived a full life after transplant,” Missy said.

In 2022, Jenny underwent bronchoscopic lung volume reduction on her right lung, performed by Amit “Bobby” Mahajan, MD, Medical Director of Interventional Pulmonology at Inova, which improved her emphysema symptoms. “That stabilized her for quite some time,” said Jessica Chun, DNP, NP, who managed Jenny’s care in the outpatient setting as part of the transplant team.

Missy credits the care team at Inova with giving Jenny the support, guidance and encouragement she needed, both before and after transplant. “The team was amazing. I felt like I could always advocate for her, and each of them had her best interest at heart. We were like a little family. The relationships we built are lifelong,” Jenny said.

Paying it forward

Jenny eventually passed away from pneumonia in September 2023, but her giving spirit lives on. Missy found a note from her mother in a box of her belongings instructing Missy to make a donation in her name to Inova as a gesture of gratitude for the care she received there. It’s a gift that Missy is determined to continue. “I followed her wishes, and I want to continue that blessing in her memory, which is why I intend to make a similar gift in her memory every year,” Missy said.

“Her kindness and her smile are what I remember most,” Chun said. “She had such a positive outlook and was willing to do whatever she could to maintain a good quality of life for as long as possible.”

One final coda to this story: Jenny’s granddaughter Jayme Mathews – the one whose birth gave her the strength to quit smoking all those years ago – is now a nurse at Inova. She discovered her passion for nursing during her grandmother’s care journey. “I know that Nanny was truly loved and cared for her by her team, and I know that she would say the same thing because she felt listened to, heard and cared for during her journey,” Jayme said. “I miss her so much, but I am thankful to Inova for helping bless us with some additional wonderful years with her.”

Learn more about Inova’s Advanced Lung Disease Services for severe COPD.

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