Waiting game – Uniontown Herald Standard

/local-news

1 / 4

Tim Lynch of Washington is a patient at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, awaiting a dual heart-liver transplant.

2 / 4

Some of the members of Tim Lynchs support system are, from left, son Alexander, 12, wife Kristen and son Benjamin, 8.

3 / 4

Tim Lynch had his first open heart surgery just 10 hours after he was born.

4 / 4

Tim Lynchs second surgery came at the age of 7.

Tim Lynch has exceeded expectations throughout his 43 years of life.

The Washington man had his first open heart surgery just 10 hours after he was born, a surgery that had never been performed on an infant. His second surgery came at age 7, performed by a world-renowned congenital heart surgeon in Boston. A third heart surgery came in 2004, performed at Chicago Childrens Hospital.

Now, Lynch is in need of another procedure, a rare heart-liver transplant. It is so rare, in fact, that the United Network for Organ Sharing does not have a category for such a transplant.

Since early April, the 1998 Trinity High School graduate has been a patient at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, where he will remain until he receives the organs. Staying at the hospital allows for certain medicines to be administered while he is monitored by the medical staff.

Just waiting, Lynch said in a recent interview. Ironically, I feel really good. They have me on some medicine that is actually speeding up my heart and making it pump faster. So, for the first time I actually have some good circulation and I feel good. Unfortunately, you cant be on this stuff for a long time.

Dr. Gavin Hickey, who is Lynchs primary heart failure and transplant cardiologist, said Lynch is considered status 2 on the transplant list. Status 1 is reserved for the sickest patients who are relying on machines to stay alive. Status 2 applies to those who need to be constantly monitored.

It moves him up the list, Hickey said of the status rating. The higher you are on the list, the more options you have, the more hearts that are available to you, and its usually a better quality organ.

About five years ago, while living and working in Kansas City, Lynch was told his heart had caused cardiac cirrhosis. He and his family moved back to Pittsburgh in June 2019.

Unable to work, Lynchs medical bills continue to mount. A GoFundMe account has been established to assist the family. As of May 15, donations totalled $50,550, exceeding the initial $50,000 goal. The goal has been increased to $75,000.

While awaiting the organs, Lynch spent the last three years traveling from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to Cleveland Clinic to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and eventually back to UPMC Presbyterian.

Lynchs wife, Kristen, a 2000 Trinity graduate and a teacher in the Chartiers-Houston School District, recalled being told by the head of the transplant department at Cleveland Clinic that there was nothing they could do for her husband.

I said maybe theres nothing you can do, but theres something somebody else can, she said.

While the surgery is rare, its been performed recently at UPMC Presbyterian on Dan Warzinski of Carnegie.

Lynch and his family had the opportunity to meet Warzinski recently.

He looks incredible, Kristen said. Its nice to have a person to talk to about this because its so infrequent and its so rare.

It was very good for both of us, Tim said. Just seeing what the outcome could possibly be because theres a success story.

Hickey said the transplant surgeries are becoming somewhat more common.

UPMC performed three in 2022, along with Warzinski in 2023, and there have been 19 in the history of the program. More than 70 were done nationally in both 2022 and 2023.

Dual organs in somebody whos had prior surgeries, any risk is going to be a lot higher, Hickey said. Its hard to know (a prognosis) for patients who have congenital heart disease. Its so much harder to know when is the right time because they do not follow the typical pathway of other heart failure patients. He spent a lot of time and energy trying to get his body in shape allowing us to prolong the time to get a new heart.

Hickey said on average a heart transplant lasts about 15 to 20 years. The balance the doctors must strike is to provide a quality of life to prolong the need for the organ as long as possible, but not get to the point that the patient is so sick that he or she cant survive the transplant.

Hes got a lot of help from his family and friends, Hickey said. Every transplant patient needs that kind of support. That has definitely helped his spirits. Hes feeling a little bit better having good support at home and the security of being in the hospital knowing were getting to an end point of getting a heart transplant.

Cathleen Lynch, Tims mother, recognizes that her son is rather unique with respect to his medical condition.

Theres just not a lot of folks with this condition that are still OK If you would have told me when he was born that hed be married, go to college, have a family, I would have called you a liar. With every operation, we were told he had a 5 to 10% chance hed survive. Hes surprised us and continues to. We knew this day was coming. But we also feel extremely blessed that hes still here. They said he wouldnt be here.

Lynch said hes come to accept his medical condition.

Since Ive been living with it throughout my life, it kind of just baked itself into my brain, he said. Its something that Ive had to deal with the whole time, so it wasnt even something that would break into my consciousness. It just was.

It has posed challenges for this family, which also includes sons Alexander, 12, and Benjamin, who just turned 8.

His wife, Kristen, said they have relied strongly on their faith.

It really has helped all of us, she said. We have so much support from the community and from our friends both here and in Kansas City. Were just so grateful and so lucky to have those people around us.

A spaghetti fundraiser is planned for June 12 at the Chartiers Township Community Center to help the Lynch family. There will also be raffles, and T-shirts are being sold.

This is how I keep going, Kristen said. This is my school friends doing this. What a support system I have with Chartiers-Houston and Allison Park. I cant say enough about all of the good people who are showing up for us.

Those interested in learning more about organ donation or who want to register to become a donor can visit upmc.com/donatelife.

Continued here:
Waiting game - Uniontown Herald Standard