This is an update in the #DavidBTransplant series, detailing David Brayton’s multi-year fight for approval to receive a lung transplant through the VA and UCLA. Other installments can be found here and here.

In the last #DavidBTransplant update (January 2018), we reported on the questionable denial letter sent by the transplant team at UCLA to David Brayton. It was questionable because Brayton had already been through an intense and thorough procedure with the VA and approved for transplant. The only circumstance that had changed was that instead of Brayton being required to relocate to Washington State while waiting (for years, potentially) for a transplant, he could receive the transplant locally, at UCLA.

Courtney Brayton wouldn’t take no for an answer. Though she’s a petite woman, she’s fierce and determined – and that’s on a normal day. When faced with losing her husband that determination went into overdrive, and David was finally put on the waiting list for a lung. A lung, singular, even though he’d been approved for a double-lung transplant initially, but that’s better than nothing.

Then it was time to sit around and wait and pray and hope that a lung became available before it was too late. At one point David commented on Facebook that it felt awkward to pray for a lung to become available, knowing that would only happen if another person lost their life.

Still, they prayed.

David and Courtney Brayton’s prayers were answered Tuesday morning.

https://www.facebook.com/davidBtransplant/posts/579630732392347

He drove himself to the hospital, oxygen mask in place, wearing a 2A t-shirt, while Courtney filmed him for Facebook live.

https://www.facebook.com/david.brayton.12/videos/1997462803638003/

At the time of this post (10:30 p.m. Pacific), David and Courtney are at UCLA and he is expected to go into surgery about 12:30 a.m. The Braytons are asking for all of our prayers – both for David and for the transplant team. I’ll update as soon as there is more information.

UPDATE 7:30 a.m. Pacific:

https://www.facebook.com/courtney.brayton/posts/10211641604491169

The Braytons are understandably devastated that this lung wasn’t good, but are holding to their faith as they wait for another phone call, one that will hopefully lead to a successful surgery.