Corrina Tally credits Sarah Bush Lincoln for saving her husband’s life.
Zane Tally, a Kansas, IL resident, began showing signs of pulmonary problems in 2017, but with the help of SBL pulmonology and medical exercise staff, he was able to get a life-saving lung transplant.
A lifelong farmer, Zane never wanted to be out of commission for long because he had a farm to manage and, thankfully, his body cooperated. “I grew beans and corn my whole life, and for a long time I also had cattle,” Zane explained. “I needed to be able to work. The most in-depth medical care I ever needed was getting stitches.”
So, when he needed extensive care for his lungs in late 2017, Zane was treading in unfamiliar waters. During harvest season that year, Zane did not feel well and it was taking him a long time to finish his work. After the season, he asked Corrina to take him to the SBL Emergency Department. Corrina reflected, “They initially thought he had pneumonia, but when he followed up with pulmonology a few days later, his lungs had not cleared up. They tried washing out his lungs, and food particles exited his lungs when they did.”
During Zane’s hospitalization and follow-up treatment, Pulmonologist Danish Thameem, MD, oversaw his care. With the discovery of food particles in his lungs, a gastroenterologist diagnosed Zane with achalasia, a disorder of the esophagus where the lower esophageal sphincter does not function, preventing food from entering the stomach.
In 2019, a minor operation opened Zane’s esophageal sphincter so that food properly reached his stomach. Unfortunately, the damage was done. “Dr. Thameem had told me in 2017 that I would likely need a lung transplant,” Zane said. “Dr. Thameem followed my progress for the next few years, and even though I took medication to slow the pulmonary fibrosis’ progression, it became clear I needed the transplant.”
Zane tried to convince everyone he was fine. “I felt a lot better than I did before they washed out my lungs and opened my sphincter,” he said.
“He was not fine,” Corrina retorted. “I knew he needed that transplant.”
Zane eventually received a double lung transplant in St. Louis in October of 2023, but he had to get in shape prior to the operation. “I had to meet certain fitness standards to qualify for the surgery,” Zane explained. “Early in 2023, I weighed approximately 250 pounds and could hardly breathe.”
Beginning in February of 2023, he trained at the SBL Center for Healthy Living, under supervision of exercise specialists. During that time, he also followed up with SBL Pulmonology. He is grateful for the staff of both departments for their care.
That year, Zane lost 50 pounds, and since his transplant, he has lost another 40 pounds. He feels like a new person. “I can walk a mile and have no trouble breathing,” Zane said. “Most importantly, I have the ability to spend time with my children and grandchildren and not need a tank of oxygen to keep up.”
“I truly believe that the care he received from Sarah Bush Lincoln in 2017, and especially before his transplant in 2023, saved his life,” Corrina said. “If he didn’t get that care, I don’t know what would have happened.”