MSF Transports Patient with Rare Disease from Ukraine to Poland for Lung Transplant
MSF recently facilitated the transport of a 42-year-old woman with lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a rare and progressive lung disease, from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, to Warsaw, Poland. This disease causes cysts to form in the lungs, gradually destroying the organ. A lung transplant, which the patient is now waiting for in Poland, is her best chance for survival.
Throughout the journey, the patient required constant access to oxygen, which has become increasingly difficult to provide due to the ongoing shelling in Ukraine.
"The disease had exhausted her, leading to significant weight loss. Every movement took effort because the lungs couldn’t provide the body with enough oxygen," says Tetiana Kravchenko, MSF paramedic. "We tried to keep her mind off the situation because she was so worried: she had lost hope to receive medical care at home."
Due to the war, treatments for such conditions have become much harder to access in Ukraine.
Tetiana continues: "We closely monitored her oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure, and provided continuous nursing support throughout the journey."
The MSF ambulance team covered 1,800 km in 22 hours. The team included an emergency doctor, a paramedic, and two drivers who rotated along the way. The patient was accompanied by her mother. Both are now in Warsaw, staying at a free centre for patients awaiting surgery.
