Olean Times Herald Article

A Christmas Wish Granted

By Kate Day Sager Olean Times Herald

“I love you all and have experienced a most amazing Christmas miracle,” wrote Nancy Matthews in her Web site this week. “God bless my donor and her family for giving me this second chance at life.”

For Mrs. Matthews and her family, the Christmas miracle is one they had been praying for while waiting for a transplant that would replace lungs diseased by cystic fibrosis. The transplanted lungs came from a female donor during an eight-hour operation on Dec. 10 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa. The procedure came after approximately seven months of waiting for a donor to be found.

A resident of Westons Mills and native of Wyoming, Mrs. Matthews is an alumna of St. Bonaventure University. She had worked with the Disability Support Services program on campus until she had to leave the program last year due to her own disability from cystic fibrosis. The disease causes clogging of the tubes and passageways within the body. It also causes scarring, inflammation and infections in the lungs that can lead to respiratory failure and death.

Mrs. Matthews’ parents, Vance and Ann Carruth, have been with their daughter in Pittsburgh during the waiting process. Her husband, Scott, traveled to Pittsburgh for the operation and their daughter, Hannah, has been able to visit her mother on occasion. Hannah also plans to visit her mother on Christmas Day.

During a telephone interview, Mrs. Matthews’ father said the family and doctors are pleased with how well she is recovering. “She (Mrs. Matthews) is doing beautifully, it’s just a miracle to me,” Mr. Carruth said on Friday. “She has had some bouts with pain in her back because of the tubes in her side ... but her lungs and all its functions are right on.”

Mr. Carruth said one hope his daughter has is to provide a second book she has written to those suffering with chronic or terminal illnesses. The book is titled “An Insider's Guide To Managing Chronic or Terminal Illness" and was written by Mrs. Matthews last spring. Mr. Carruth said the book is about his daughter’s experiences in dealing with a disease that can be terminal or chronic. He said her first book, titled “Journey Toward Spiritual Peace,” was written to share that particular aspect of her experience. Profits from that book helped pay for her hefty medical expenses.

Mrs. Matthews decided that 50 percent of money obtained from the sale of her new book would be used to purchase the book for someone with a terminal or chronic illness.“She wanted to sell 250 books of her new book which will allow her to buy the books for someone recently diagnosed, or for doctors’ offices,” Mr. Carruth said. “I’m very hopeful this will happen for her on Christmas Day,” he said of the sale of the books. “My wish is that she gets her wish, she’s just an incredible woman.”He said the family is also hopeful that Mrs. Matthews can leave the hospital soon and stay at an apartment they have rented in the city.“My birthday is on Christmas eve, so this is the best birthday present I’ve ever had, and the nicest Christmas present, too,” Mr. Carruth added. “I think we’re in the clear. I’ve shed many, many tears since her surgery and I don’t normally cry.”

In comments sent to the Times Herald, Mrs. Matthews said she wanted to let the community know how grateful she was to everyone. “We have experienced so many blessings and are thrilled to have been able to share all that we have gone through with our loving community,”

Mrs. Matthews said. “I am doing very well post-transplant, but still have a long road ahead. I look forward to personally thanking my community when I am home and recovering.”

In comments posted on her blog site this week, she said her husband was able to visit a few days last week before heading back home.

“I wanted to share the thing that made my day yesterday, over and above even hugging Scott,” Mrs. Matthews said. “Scott brought Hannah's letter to Santa to share with me before he put it in the mail. In her letter, which she composed all on her own, she asked for the typical kid presents but at the end she wrote, ‘If you can't get all of these things don't worry. I already got a really great gift.”

“We sure did get a great gift, Hannah, and I can't wait to appreciate it with you for years to come,” Mrs. Matthews said.

For more information on purchasing one of Mrs. Matthews’ books, visit her Web site at www.nancyamatthews.com. Her blog site can be viewed at www.nancymatthews.blogspot.com