Nathan's Transplant Journey

CELEBRATE the Gift of Life

WINTER 2020 | VOLUME 32

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Double-lung transplant recipient, Nathan with his mother, Crystal.

Nathan’s Transplant Journey

Nathan Hutchinson, who turned two years Nathan old on October 14, 2020, has spent over 300 TRANSPLANT: days — nearly half of his life — in the hospital DOUBLE-LUNG for frequent admissions. He spent almost a TRANSPLANT DATE: year cumulative sleeping in a hospital bed while AUGUST 27, 2019 his parents, Crystal and Justin, waited anxiously HOME: COURTICE, ON by his side. During this time at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, Nathan underwent two open-heart surgeries, six catheterizations, spent four days on life support, and received a double-lung transplant. This is Nathan's transplant story.

The Hutchinson family lives about an hour outside of Toronto with their dog, Baxter. Crystal and Justin were so excited to be expecting their first child. After a very healthy pregnancy, Crystal gave birth on October 14, 2018. Immediately, they knew something was wrong. “Nathan was born blue and not breathing. He was taken away right away. We never got to hold him or touch him. We hardly even got to see him. Nathan was taken to the NICU and soon after was transferred to SickKids. The first time we met Nathan, he was on life support; that memory is still one of the hardest,” Crystal remembers.

In March, the world changed as COVID-19 swept around the globe. This was an incredibly difficult time for the family as they managed the stress of the pandemic and Nathan’s medical needs without the support from their family and friends.