Speciality: Advanced Lung Failure and Lung Transplantation

Paul

Paul Rivera got a new lung and a new life.

Paul grew up in the Bronx. And yes, he may have gotten into a little bit of trouble along the way, but he always wanted to make something more of himself.

After serving in the Army, Paul moved home and became one of those hardworking citizens who keep New York City going. Working construction and HVAC his whole life, he was building a career he was proud of. But then the cough started. And it was persistent.

The cough started getting really heavy and my chest was inflamed. I couldn’t take the pain. And my wife says ‘Okay, that’s it. We’re going to the emergency room.’

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What Paul thought was a cold was actually pulmonary fibrosis, likely caused by chemical exposure on the job. The disease had made the tissues in Paul’s lung thick and stiff. Oxygen wasn’t moving efficiently to his brain or heart. It was untreatable. Paul’s only hope was a lung transplant.

I said: God, either send me a lung or take my life. I can’t take this suffering anymore.

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But his history of coronary heart disease made him a risky candidate for a transplant, Paul was dying. While others turned him down as his health deteriorated to the point of no return, only one hospital, Montefiore Einstein, stepped in. Just in time.

Montefiore Einstein chooses to do difficult cases that other centers choose not to. And that’s because we believe in our patients and want to give them a better life and a second chance.

— Ali Y. Mansour, MD

Highly trained in complex medical cases like Paul’s, experts at Montefiore Einstein's Advanced Lung Failure and Lung Transplant Program heard about Paul and took him on just in time.

Paul reflects the type of patient we are willing to take care of here, and the challenges we’re willing to tackle.

— Stephen J. Forest, MD

After just a few months on the waiting list for a transplant, Montefiore Einstein found the lung Paul deserved. The surgery was a success, and within days, Paul was breathing easy again.

Did they give that guy a new lung, or a new motor?

— Rita, Paul's Neighbor

Everyone Loves a Comeback

Following his transplant, Paul’s stamina returned. He began working out like he had during his days in the Army. Today, at 67, Paul’s at his peak and fitter than ever. Montefiore Einstein got Paul a new lung, and they gave him a new life.