New York mom gets double lung, heart transplant

NEW YORK CITY – A New York mom is breathing a sigh of relief and gratitude following an eight-hour surgery she says gave her her life back.

Doctors call the surgery miraculous.

The surgery transplanted two lungs and a heart to save the life of Lindsay Salquero-Lopez.

Her life before the surgery had been one of misery.

The Guatemala native was diagnosed as a child with a hole in her heart. The rare condition left her in constant need of oxygen.

Her mom brought her to the United States for better medical care, but over the last five years, Salquero-Lopez’s condition grew worse.

At one point, she couldn’t take a shower or get dressed on her own. Her husband had to carry her up and down their stairs.

Teenage son Jacob’s fears nearly came to pass in late January, when his mom nearly died.

Doctors said Lindsay’s heart and lungs were failing. Doctors say she was days from death.

Help arrived in the form of two lungs and a heart – provided by a single organ donor – resulting in a remarkable eight-hour surgery. It’s one of only 50 performed in the United States each year.

Six weeks later, for the first time in her life, Lindsay told her doctors she’s without pain.

She’s urging everyone to become an organ donor.

Watch the video to learn more about how Salquero-Lopez is doing now.