Family desperate to find a hospital willing to do a second double lung transplant

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — What would you do to save someone you love? The family and friends of a young woman from Isle of Wight are doing the only thing left – begging for help.

They need to find a hospital willing to do a second double lung transplant. It’s their only hope to save Hannah Goetz.

“She’s spunky and feisty and a little bit of a diva.” That’s how family friend, Mindy Poland, describes Hannah. The 21-year-old is also a fighter. Currently hooked up to a breathing machine at INOVA Hospital in Northern Virginia.

Hannah has cystic fibrosis, a disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs.

“It’s just constant anxiety and fear because you just feel like you’re drowning or suffocating
constantly,” Poland said.

After graduating from Smithfield High School in 2019, Hannah got sick with flu and pneumonia.
Her lungs filled with fluid and doctors made the call to cut her lungs out of her body and hook her up to a machine that kept her alive until she got a transplant.

Things were going great, Poland said, until this year, when Hannah’s body began to reject the organs. “She told us she’s scared and nervous. She asked today when she’s getting her new lungs, which was a hard question.”

Speaking for the family, Poland said that INOVA has removed Hannah from the transplant waiting list.

In a post on Hannah’s CaringBridge page, Poland said doctors cited their reasons around the riskiness of the procedure and not having confidence she would pull through.

But without surgery, Hannah has no chance at all.

“Our hope right now is sharing her story with other transplant centers, and we just hope that somebody hears that story and gives her a second chance,” said Poland.

But time is not on their side as family sits with Hannah around the clock, praying for a miracle that will save a 21 year old with so much to live for.

The family’s request is for you to share Hannah’s story so that it might end up with someone who can help.

Want to help?

If you’d like to make a donation to help with bills, you can do that here on the Hope for Hannah GoFundMe page.

If anyone would like to send get well cards to Hannah, they can be sent to the Ronald McDonald House (c/o Goetz Family), 3312 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA 22042.