CHICAGO — Colette Hurd calls herself "Collette 2.0" after successfully undergoing a groundbreaking lung and kidney transplant.
According to Northwestern Medicine, Hurd was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2020, a rare disease that weakens the heart and lungs.
A year after her diagnosis, Hurd's lungs were reportedly failing and she was considered for a double-lung transplant, but she also needed a kidney transplant as her body began to deteriorate.
Northwest Medicine says Hurd was placed on the transplant list. However, due to a blood condition, it was difficult for doctors to find a match for Hurd.
The transplant team decided to take a chance and accept organs that were not the right match, but treat her blood so her body wouldn't reject the new organs.
The surgery was a success.
“Transplant is such a young field that we’re still learning what the boundaries are,” said Dr. Satish Nadig, chief of organ transplantation at Northwestern Medicine, who performed Hurd’s kidney transplant. “With Colette’s case, our transplant team was able to push that boundary, immunologically speaking, even further to the benefit of those requiring life-saving organs globally.”
Northwestern Medicine said the treatment had previously only been utilized in Toronto for lung transplant patients.
"It’s very uncommon," said Dr. Rade Tomic, medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program.
Hurd was discharged from the hospital in August, following a 15-month stay.
"I have a second chance at life,” she said.