MADISON, Wis. – Faith, family and fitness are the foundation of Wanda Welch’s life; a foundation she said was invaluable after receiving a double-lung transplant last spring.
“I couldn’t have gone through this life-changing surgery without the love of my family, my faith in God and the remarkable doctors and nurses who never gave up on me,” she said.
Welch first became ill in December 2023; it was her third COVID-19 infection. She was initially treated in Milwaukee, where she lives with her husband and children. Despite multiple hospital stays throughout December, her lungs were becoming steadily weaker. While in the hospital in Milwaukee, doctors placed her on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, also called ECMO, a form of life support that provides time for the body to rest and recover by doing the work of the lungs.
“I wanted to get back to work with my students and care for my two children at home, but I was struggling to breathe,” she said. “The doctors did their best for me, but I knew that I would need to go to Madison if I wanted to get better.”
Shortly after Christmas, Welch was flown by UW Health Med Flight to University Hospital in Madison. Med Flight established an ECMO Transport Program in 2020 to transfer critically ill patients across Wisconsin and northern Illinois, according to Dr. Andrew Cathers, medical director, UW Health Med Flight, and assistant professor of emergency medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
“Med Flight is one of just a few programs in the country that can transport pediatric and adult patients who are on ECMO,” he said. “Our team has specialized training to care for the sickest patients as they are transferred from other hospitals to a transplant center.”
At the time of her illness, the UW Health Transplant Center was home to the only active adult lung transplant program in Wisconsin. The program was recently ranked the nation’s best for survival and the time it takes to receive a transplant, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.
Once in Madison, Welch remained on ECMO to allow specialists time to assess all aspects of her lung function, according to Dr. Dan McCarthy, director of the UW Health ECMO Program, and associate professor of surgery, UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
“Wanda’s body was working overtime to breathe, and we hoped with the right support, her lungs could heal on their own,” said McCarthy, who is also the surgical director of the UW Health Lung Transplant Program. “She was an energetic woman before her illness, and we wanted to give her the best chance of returning to her active life.”
After several weeks, it became clear that her damaged lungs were not healing and specialists began the first steps of evaluating Welch for a bilateral lung transplant.
“A lung transplant is a huge surgery and I prayed about it,” she said. “The team took the time to answer all my questions and they assured me that they had all the tools to save my life.”
She remained hooked up to the machine to assist her breathing throughout February and March. She was still able to move around her hospital room and tried to stay active. Her husband, Marc Steffens, made near-daily trips between Milwaukee and Madison to be by her side, and she received regular visits from her sisters Chasity and Shaunta. They were essential to keeping her spirits up, as well as Welch’s numerous nieces and nephews and members of her church prayer group.
Welch was listed for a double-lung transplant in late March 2024. She received a match on April 6, and McCarthy led the surgical team that performed Welch’s successful transplant surgery. Welch was one of 58 patients who received a lung transplant in 2024, a record for the program. She remained at University Hospital for several weeks while her care team monitored her body for signs of rejection.
“I had a dream team that cared for me through every challenge,” she said.
As a self-professed workout warrior, Welch was eager to work with the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation team at UW Health to rebuild her stamina. Each session with a physical therapist allowed Welch to adjust to her new lungs, according to McCarthy.
Welch returned home to Milwaukee about six weeks after her surgery. She jumped back into her favorite activities including regular workouts and light weightlifting alongside her daughter. Welch resumed serving as a prayer leader at her church and restarted her studies to earn a doctorate degree in theology. Welch said she has found a new calling as a motivational speaker where she speaks of her faith as well as the power of organ donation to save lives.
“I am deeply grateful to my lung donor and their family for this gift of life,” she said. “They provided me with a second chance, and I hope to honor them by living fully and with purpose each day.”