By Hector Flores
Quinn had been staying at the home of her sister, Kathy Lanzaro, Jennifer¹s mother, on Jeffery Avenue in East Meadow, manning the phone, when she heard the good news. Exhausted yet relieved, she thought of nothing else but to rush to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, where Jennifer was recovering, to see the miracle for herself.
"It was Friday night [Nov. 10] that we got the lungs," Quinn said. "The surgery started that night and went through Saturday morning. We have been told that with all lung transplants it's minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day, but for Jen it has been go, go, go."
Charles Lanzaro, Jennifer's father, who visited her on Monday, added, "They took the tube out and her eyes were open and she¹s talking in whispers. They want her to cough so that the secretions from her mouth don't go into her lungs. Right now she has to build up her strength."
Quinn said that before her lifesaving surgery, Jennifer was heavily medicated, and placed on a respirator to keep her alive. "She was in a medically induced coma," Quinn explained. "Because of her condition, she needed to be sedated because of the care she was receiving. But she could only be sedated to a certain point because she needed to sustain her blood pressure so she could survive the type of surgery she needed."
Jennifer, who turned 29 on Sunday, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis a year after she was born. The genetic disease causes abnormal mucus secretions, which accumulate in the lungs and act as a breeding ground for bacteria. Jennifer's younger sister Marissa, 27, who also had the disease, died in June. When Jennifer's health began to deteriorate six weeks ago, her family and friends decided to help her fight for her life. They knew that in order for her to survive, she would need a transplant of two healthy lungs.
"When your family gets hit by a crisis, all bets are off," Quinn said. "We knew that in order to save Jennifer we needed to marshal everyone¹s efforts."
Through e-mails and posters and by reaching out to the media, Jennifer's family and friends set out to find a lung donor. Also answering the call for help was the staff of the East Meadow Library, where Kathy Lanzaro works, who helped the family through the ordeal.
Marcia Blackman, head of the library's adult services, said that library personnel handed out fliers at hospitals, police stations, firehouses and anywhere they thought they might find people to help.
Donna Weiler, a library employee, stitched a quilt, decorated it by tracing the hands of all the workers in the library and sent a message of love, while Laura Candito, the library¹s senior circulation clerk, organized the preparation of 40 meals, a case of water and baked goods to be delivered to the Lanzaro family. "I¹ve known Kathy for eight years, and she hasn't been at work since her daughter has been sick," Candito said. "I realized that they were spending a lot of money on take-out, and we thought it would be nice for them to have homemade food."
Candito added that three other library employees helped her deliver the meals to the Lanzaros on Nov. 7. "They were so appreciative, and it came out so good," she said.
Blackman said that she found herself inspired by the family¹s strength. "They are a very strong family, very faithful and religious," she said. "They pulled together, covered the bases, divided the work and got everything done. They were our inspiration and we wanted to do as much as they were."
Blackman added that the Lanzaros would go through long periods without sleep. "They would go home for only a few hours, and then go back out to raise awareness or stay at the hospital with Jennifer," she said. "Going through this, we all now know the importance of being a donor."
Barring any complications, the Lanzaros hope Jennifer will be allowed to return to her home in East Meadow next month. ³We still have to be vigilant,² Quinn said. ³I have to calm down now and believe that this has truly happened.²
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
