Katharina Buczek
Chicago, Illinois. Kate Ramirez organized a GoFundMe for Mayra, the young woman who received the first-ever successful double-lung transplant on a COVID-19 patient.
Mayra is from North Carolina but moved to Chicago after graduating from college. Kate said that she always has a positive attitude and a smile on her face wherever she goes. Unfortunately, Mayra has suffered through a very tough medical journey.
“Mayra contracted the COVID-19 virus, even while trying her very best to protect herself from it,” Kate said.
Mayra was also immunocompromised, so her body could not fight the virus as well as other young adults.
“During her six weeks in the ICU, COVID-19 lived and thrived in her lungs– causing devastating damage and requiring that she remain on full life support for weeks,” Kate said.
Mayra’s family was, unfortunately, unable to see or comfort her during this time either.
Still, Mayra persevered through the fear and pain with the help of her medical team. Her team was even able to arrange for Mayra to be the first COVID-19 patient to ever receive a double-lung transplant in the country.
“In the operating room, Mayra’s surgical team and all who witnessed after that were shocked to have seen the level of damage that COVID-19 did to her lungs and body,” Kate recalled.
GoFundMe; pictured above is Mayra
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