Help Andrew Breathe Again: Support His Lung Transplant

Tl;dr: Andrew made it through cancer, but now he needs a lung transplant. We need your help to get him and his family there.

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Back in February of 2024 Andrew Stevens, a Marine veteran father of three, went to urgent care for lower left flank pain. A CT scan was ordered and the miserable news was delivered: after 8 years of remission his cancer had returned, it had metastasized, and it was inoperable. Andrew is only 44 years old.

Days later Andrew started chemo with all its side effects: hiccups, nausea, high heart rates, fevers, neuropathy, rashes, blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, tinnitus... As his body was pushed to the limit, he marched his way through.

Stephanie stayed by his side taking care of the kids, monitoring every medical decision, and becoming an expert in every facet of Andrews diagnoses. She continuously exercised her super power for getting shit done.

As Andrew reached the finish line of his treatment he began to lose lung capacity. He was easily winded, by May his lung capacity had shrunk from 100% to 79% due to chemo. This was scary, but expected to be reversed when the chemo ended.

On May 13th, wearing his black "Straight Outta Chemo" t-shirt Andrew hesitantly rung the bell. His chemo treatment complete, he started the long journey to recovering from the brutality of his treatment. Rest, recovery, and a whole lot of self-care was up next as his body rebuilt and healed itself.

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While Andrew was in the shower Stephanie heard him utter the quietest of coughs, which they had been warned could be a sign of disaster. They called their doctor who instructed them to come in immediately.

The doctor put his stethoscope to Andrew's lungs and heard a rasp. This was bad.

The particular chemo treatment that Andrew had undergone brought with it a 1-10% chance of a condition called "Bleomycin Lung Toxicity" (BLT). It's similar to an allergic reaction: inflammation in the lungs leads to fibrosis, or scarring, of the lung tissue. His lungs were being badly damaged and the effect was that he was struggling to breathe.

By early June his lung capacity was 22%. Over 3/4 of his lung capacity was lost.

The return of Andrew’s cancer was serious, but the seriousness of BLT eclipsed his cancer diagnoses. It was a rush of treatments, new drugs, and scans. His lungs were dying.

By the end of June, walking left Andrew gasping for air. His O2 would drop and heart rate would increase. He was put on supplemental oxygen.

In Early July, after a 911 call and race to the hospital Andrew was admitted to the ICU. Audacious hope was called for; things were looking dire. He could not breathe.

Five days later, Andrew was intubated, unconscious, and medically paralyzed. Two days after that he was put on ECMO. Pipes in his neck remove his blood, oxygenate it by machine, and return it to his body.

As the end of July neared it was clear that Andrew’s only hope was a complete lung transplant and a very long road to recovery. Today he lies in his hospital bed semi conscious on a ventilator and ECMO. The next step in his journey is a new set of lungs. His no longer work.

Stephanie and Andrew have been working with UCSF and other hospitals on the details of lung transplantation. It is going to take continued audacious hope.

If and when UCSF (or any transplant center) formally accepts Andrew, he will be transported and the journey of getting him a new pair of lungs will begin. It will be a monumental undertaking requiring Andrew, Stephanie, and Brooklyn to uproot their Washington lives and make a temporary home no more than 30 minutes from the hospital. Finding a match, surgery, and recovery could take months.

The financial toll for the family already has been tremendous. The possibility of moving to San Francisco, one of the most expensive cities in the world, won't help the situation. They have been judicious over the last year with their savings as Andrew fought cancer, but this is a whole new level of challenge. Funds will be used for:

Stephanie and Andrew are not the kind of people who ask for help. They offer help, each having contributed their lives to service-oriented work: Andrew's time in the military, his non-profit work through Team Rubicon, and his current role as Deputy Director of Emergency Management for the city of Seattle. Stephanie too has led and championed countless causes that have benefited many around the world.

Every one of us has a story of how these two have put themselves out there to help someone else. Every one of us has been touched by their relentless love they give so freely.

Today we have the opportunity to give back: Andrew needs a new pair of lungs. Let’s do our part to carry some of their burden. Thank you for your help, love, care, and generosity.