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Diane Detmer
Website designed, published and maintained by Diane Detmer
Contact Webmaster: dinki@charter.net
Diane Detmer
Website designed, published and maintained by Diane Detmer
Contact Webmaster: dinki@charter.net
Duke Lung Transplant Friends
Memorials
Memorials
Bill Pacella
My Father was seen by Dr. Peter Kussin in April of 2008 for the preliminary steps to see if he would qualify for evaluation. He did and Dr. Kussin was anxious to get my dad into the evaluation stage. Months passed and my father didn't hear from the evaluation team and was becoming very frustrated with the process. I guess that the hang up was that in April of 2008 his insurance would switch to Medicaid which caused a "snag" in the financial department of the clinic. We did not find this out until February of 2009 when my father was hospitalized and needed a pace maker...his lungs were failing.
We worked closely with Dr. Kussin and his nurse, Adonna, to get the transplant evaluation underway...nearly a year later. He was scheduled to go in for transplant evaluation on April 1, 2009. Unfortunately, my dad was hospitalized with pneumonia on March 20, 2009 and passed away on Wed., March 25th. It was heartbreaking because he was so close to his appointment date. He had worked so hard to lose the weight they had asked him to lose and to follow through with all the clinic had asked. We attempted an emergency transport to Duke from Greenville, NC but it was just not a possibility. His other organs had already begun to fail.
I received a call from Dr. Kussin, ironically, on my father's birthday to apologize for the lack of communication and for "dropping the ball" the last year...it was so heart warming to know that a Dr. of his caliber and professionalism would call a patient's daughter....to express his sympathy and to let us know this would never happen to another patient.
Even though things did not work out for my dad, I must have faith that because of his struggle that other older transplant patients will not have the same troubles.
We worked closely with Dr. Kussin and his nurse, Adonna, to get the transplant evaluation underway...nearly a year later. He was scheduled to go in for transplant evaluation on April 1, 2009. Unfortunately, my dad was hospitalized with pneumonia on March 20, 2009 and passed away on Wed., March 25th. It was heartbreaking because he was so close to his appointment date. He had worked so hard to lose the weight they had asked him to lose and to follow through with all the clinic had asked. We attempted an emergency transport to Duke from Greenville, NC but it was just not a possibility. His other organs had already begun to fail.
I received a call from Dr. Kussin, ironically, on my father's birthday to apologize for the lack of communication and for "dropping the ball" the last year...it was so heart warming to know that a Dr. of his caliber and professionalism would call a patient's daughter....to express his sympathy and to let us know this would never happen to another patient.
Even though things did not work out for my dad, I must have faith that because of his struggle that other older transplant patients will not have the same troubles.
Hello Duke Transplant Team, Family, & Friends:
I was hoping you could help us spread the word about an AMAZING event being held here in Chicago from December 1 through 3rd, 2011.
The first IPF Summit: From Bench to Bedside will be a wonderful way for Doctors, Caregivers, Patients, and Family members to learn more about the fight to cure IPF and what is being done on many levels to raise awareness and fight for the cure....
www.ipfsummit.org
My father, Bill Pacella, is featured as one of the "memorials" on your website...and I continue each day to find ways to honor him and fight for a cure for this awful disease. I know there are so many who have had a transplant at Duke or who await the news that lungs are available...so, any information we can spread could be so inspirational. It would also help the Foundation and the Disease to get as many Doctor's involved with PF on board....so I'm asking for your help with that as well.
Thank you so much and hope to hear from you!
Kathy Petrak
I was hoping you could help us spread the word about an AMAZING event being held here in Chicago from December 1 through 3rd, 2011.
The first IPF Summit: From Bench to Bedside will be a wonderful way for Doctors, Caregivers, Patients, and Family members to learn more about the fight to cure IPF and what is being done on many levels to raise awareness and fight for the cure....
www.ipfsummit.org
My father, Bill Pacella, is featured as one of the "memorials" on your website...and I continue each day to find ways to honor him and fight for a cure for this awful disease. I know there are so many who have had a transplant at Duke or who await the news that lungs are available...so, any information we can spread could be so inspirational. It would also help the Foundation and the Disease to get as many Doctor's involved with PF on board....so I'm asking for your help with that as well.
Thank you so much and hope to hear from you!
Kathy Petrak
A Daughter Remembers