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Utah mom of five with Stage 4 lung cancer undergoes surgery, is on transplant list
KUTV • • health
Key Points:
- Kelsey Flake, a 39-year-old Utah mother of five diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, underwent surgery to remove her right lung and is now on a transplant list as part of Northwestern Medicine's innovative DREAM Program.
- Despite never smoking and being an athlete, Kelsey's cancer returned after chemotherapy and immunotherapy, progressing to Stage 4 with only 41% lung capacity, requiring full-time oxygen support.
- She will remain in a medically-induced coma on a heart-lung machine in the ICU while awaiting a donor lung, with an average wait time of two to four days, and plans to stay in Chicago for a year post-transplant.
- Kelsey's family is raising awareness about her rare SFTPM gene mutation, which can cause various lung diseases, and has received strong community support; her siblings have also tested positive for the variant.
- The family faces challenges with Kelsey's extended treatment away from home, relying on support networks, and has launched a GoFundMe to help with financial burdens during this time.
