Between Breaths Pediatric Lung Transplant: Before & Beyond
Between Breaths is a podcast created by a transplant mom who lived pediatric lung transplant with her son, Ryder.
This space is for families navigating life before transplant, during the hospital journey, and beyond, including the grief that often walks alongside it.
When you’re in this world, Googling at 2 a.m. leads to fear. Clinical answers don’t always give you the real-life experience you’re searching for.
Between Breaths fills the space between medical information and lived reality .... through honest conversations, shared stories, and community.
You’ll hear from transplant parents, caregivers, medical professionals, and families who understand this journey, along with reflections for those waiting, healing, surviving, or grieving.
This is not medical advice.
It’s support.
It’s shared experience.
It’s a place to feel less alone.
If you’re waiting, post-transplant, or carrying the loss of a child or friend along the way, you belong here.
Between Breaths Pediatric Lung Transplant: Before & Beyond
One Last Christmas and the Math of a Miracle
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This episode of Between Breaths takes us into the delicate "in-between" of the transplant journey. The sacred, heavy space between the decision to move and the moment the phone finally rings.
Courtney shares the emotional weight of choosing "one last Christmas" at home, watching her 10-year-old son, Ryder, struggle to find the breath to laugh during a season of joy. As the calendar turns to 2024, the family faces the daunting "60-minute rule," the logistical hurdle of relocating to Houston, and the exhausting reality of finding medical housing while in the midst of a family crisis.
In this episode, we explore:
- The 60-Minute Rule: Debunking the Hollywood myths of "racing lungs" and explaining the real-time preparation required for surgery.
- The Housing Scramble: A raw look at the pros and cons of Ronald McDonald House, Nora’s Home, and the "miracle" of Project Joy & Hope.
- The Math of a Miracle: Breaking down the complex CAS (Composite Allocation Score) and UNOS systems that determine how organs are matched.
- The Seven Offers: The adrenaline and heartbreak of receiving seven calls that didn't lead to surgery, and why waiting for "optimal" lungs is a gift of its own.
Transplant is a miracle born from loss, and a journey measured in liters of oxygen and miles from home. Join Courtney as she pulls back the curtain on what it truly means to be "active" on the list.
Between Breaths is a space for families walking through pediatric lung transplant. The fear, the strength, the grief, and the miracles.
This podcast shares personal experience and is not intended as medical advice.
If you found comfort here, follow the show and share it with someone who might need to hear it at 2am.
We’re in this together.