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Jill Simmons typically spends every summer, and Father’s Day, with her dad in Alaska.

Since Jill received a living related lung transplant in March and she is still recovering, Jill’s doctors did not want her to travel so far away from the hospital. Frank Pigula, MD, Jill’s transplant surgeon, thought of another way for Jill and her father, Craig Simmons - who donated a lobe of his lung to replace his daughter’s diseased lung - to see one another for Father’s day.

Through the use of a videophone, Jill was able visit with her father even though he is thousands of miles away. Used in Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the videophones are used by families of critically ill newborns in the hospital’s NICU to visit and discuss their child’s progress while being miles away.

Dr. Pigula asked that a videophone, which is sponsored by VueCare In-home Health Services and C-phone, be shipped to Jill’s dad in Alaska so they could “see each other” and their Father’s Day visit would not be lost this year.

“I want you to do something for me Jilly,” says Craig through the videophone. “I want you take a deep breath for me. This is the best Father’s Day I have ever had.”

Jill’s father and uncle both donated a lobe of their lung for the procedure to occur. This is only the second living related lung transplant completed in Pittsburgh and the first one at Children’s.

Jill, 18, of Altoona, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a progressive incurable disease that attacks the lungs, at age 3. Jill had been on the transplant list for about 2 years while her health continued to deteriorate. On Christmas Day Jill was admitted because she was having trouble breathing. Despite treatment, Jill continued getting sicker.

It is always difficult finding donors because lungs are so difficult to procure, says Dr. Pigula, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Children’s. But in March, Jill finally received the lung transplant she desperately needed.

Following the transplant, Jill spent two weeks in Children’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Jill continues to receive physical therapy. Dr. Pigula says Jill, and her father and uncle, are recovering well.

Living related donors experience some loss of lung function after surgery. Although his recovery is ongoing, Craig says he would have done anything to help “his little girl.”

“To take a girl from death’s door and hear her say now that she feels fantastic is amazing. She is definitely daddy’s little girl and there was never any question on whether I would do this or not,” Craig says.

For more information contact:

Melanie Tush, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, 412-692-5016, Melanie.Finnigan@chp.edu