COUNSELORS HAVING THE SAME
CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE
STUDENTS.
>> IT MAKES SENSE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>> NOW TO AN NBC NEWS
EXCLUSIVE. REPORT
CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR ME.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE AIRED A
STORY ABOUT A GROUND BREAKING
NEW T
WE REPORT ON A LOT OF LIFE
SAVING INNOVATIONS ON NBC NEWS
DAILY.
IT IS RARE A VIEWER REACHES OUT
TO SAY THAT REPORT CHANGED
EVERYTHING FOR ME.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO WE AIRED A
STORY ABOUT A GROUNDBREAKING
TREATMENT FOR LUNG CANCER.
IT TURNS OUT A MAN IN
CALIFORNIA WAS WATCHING AND HE
SAYS THAT STORY SAVED HIS
LIFE.>> AS A PULMONOLOGIST IN
CALIFORNIA DOCTOR GARY GIBBON
HAS SEEN HIS SHARE OF LUNG
DISEASE.
BUT HE NEVER EXPECTED TO BE
DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER HIMSELF.
>> I DEVELOPED A COUGH.
I LOST WEIGHT.
AND I WENT TO GET A CHEST X-RAY
AND THEN A CT SCAN OF MY LUNGS.
I WAS IN A STATE OF SHOCK THAT
I HAD ADVANCED STAGE LUNG
CANCER
HE WAS IN THE ICU WHEN HIS WIFE
GOT A. CALL FRO
>> REPORTER:’S DOCTORS AT UCLA
TRIED EVERYTHING IMMUNOTHERAPY
CHEMOTHERAPY RADIATION.
IT WASN’T WORKING.
HE WAS IN THE ICU WHEN HIS WIFE
GOT A CALL FROM GARY’S DOCTOR.
>> HE STARKLY -- I HAD HEARD IT
AND THAT WAS JUST IT.
IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THERE IS
NOTHING WE’VE EXHAUSTED ALL OF
OUR OPTIONS.
>> Reporter: IN THAT DARKEST
HOUR GARY REMEMBERED A STORY.
>> ABOUT A YEAR AGO I REPORTED
ON TWO LUNG CANCER PATIENTS WHO
HAD HAD A GROUNDBREAKING DOUBLE
LUNG TRANSPLANT AT NORTHWESTERN
MEDICINE IN CHICAGO.
PUTS PATIENTS ON FULL HEART-
LUNG BYPASS KEEPING THEM ALIVE
WHILE CAREFULLY REMOVING BOTH
LUNGS AT ONCE.
HE THEN WASHES THE AIRWAYS TO
REMOVE ANY REMAINING CANCER
CELLS BEFORE TO NEW YOU LUNGS
ARE TRANSPLANTED AND PICK
>> WE SAW THAT STORY.
>> Reporter: HOW MUCH
DIFFERENCE TO YOU.
IT MADE THAT YOU HAPPEN TO SEE
THAT HE’S?
>> IT WAS 100% EVERYTHING.
>> Reporter:TERN.
HE WAS AIR LIFTED TO CHICAGO.
GARY’S CANCER TREATMENTS HAD
DAMAGED HIS LUNGS AND LIVER.
GARY WOULD NEED NOT WHAT USTWOUL
HAPPENED IF YOU HAD NOT SEEN
IT?
>> HE WOULD BE DEAD.
>> Reporter: GARY S’S DOCTORS
TO CONTACT NORTHWESTERN.
HE WAS AIRLIFTED TO CHICAGO.
HIS CANCER TREATMENTS HAD
DAMAGES LUNGS AND LIVER.
GARY WOULD NEED NOT JUST A
DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT BUT A
LIVER TRANSPLANT.
>> WE HAD THE TECHNOLOGY TO DO
IT.
WE HAD THE KNOW-HOW AND THE
SKILL SET.
THIS PATIENT NEEDED IT AND WE
WERE ONLY PLACING THE WORLD
THAT COULD DO IT.
>> Reporter: DOCTOR -- CHIEF OF
TRANSPLANT SURGERY AT
NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE FOCUSED
ON THE LIVER.
WORKING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH
DOCTOR -- DIRECTOR OF THE
NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE THORACIC
CENTER WHO PIONEERED THE DOUBLE
LUNG TRANSPLANT FOR CANCER
PATIENTS.
WERE YOU CONFIDENT GOING AND
THAT THIS WOULD WORK? YOU HAD
NEVER DONE IT BEFORE.
>> THERE IS ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT
OF RISK WHEN YOU PERFORM
SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE FELT LIKE THERE WAS A HIGH
PROBABILITY THAT IT WOULD WORK.
WE RECOGNIZE THERE WERE CERTAIN
RISKS INVOLVED
REPLAC. GARY’S L
>> Reporter: WRISTS BY KEEPING
THE DONATED LIVER ALIVE FOR 17
HOURS ANY BOX WHILE DOCTOR --
REPLACED GARY’S LUNGS.
WE USED A MACHINE WHERE WE PUT
THE LIVER ON THE MACHINE AND IT
IS PUMPED THROUGH WITH NORMAL
TEMPERATURE BLOOD.
IT IS ACTUALLY WORKING IN THIS
BOX.
IN THIS LIVER IS JUST
FUNCTIONING ON THE SIDE OF THE
ROOM.
>> Reporter: THE SURGERY WAS A
SUCCESS.
>> HE WAS SLEEPING AFTER
SURGERY.
I CAN SEE HIS CHEST GOING UP
AND DOWN.
AND I WAS LIKE OH MY GOD I
HAVEN’T SEEN THAT IN MONTHS.
I HAD NOT SEEN HIM BREATHING.
>> Reporter: SIX MONTHS POST
SURGERY GARY IS CANCER FREE.
>> ONE OF THE CHOICES I MADE
RIGHT UP FRONT WAS THAT I SAID
I AM GOING TO SPREAD THE WORD
ABOUT THIS.
AS SOON AS I CAME OUT OF SURGERY
-- I’M LIKE I’M GOING TO TALK
ABOUT THIS WHEREVER I CAN.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE YOU WANT
TO HELP THE NEXT PERSON.
>> YES
>>
>> Reporter: THIS WAS SUCH A
GIANT GROUP EFFORTTOGETHER.
NORTHWESTERN SAYS IT IS THE
FIRST TIME.
DOCTORS NURSES PEOPLE WHO
WORKED ON THAT TRANSPORT THE
CRITICALLY ILL GARY TO CHICAGO
ALL PULLING TOGETHER.
NORTHWESTERN SAID IT IS THE
FIRST TIME IN THE U.S. THAT
THIS TRIPLE TRANSPLANT HAS BEEN
DONE ON SOMEONE WITH ADVANCED
CANCER.
GARY TOLD ME THEY HOPE THEY
INSPIRE OTHER PATIENTS OUT
THERE TO ASK QUESTIONS TO LOOK