The family of a 32-year-old Sarnia man, who requires a second double lung transplant since 2019, is turning to the community for help.
Santino Wintringham, who was born with Cystic Fibrosis and has diabetes, is on the waiting list once again with the hope a donor can soon be found.
Santino's mom, Lynne Lademer, said his initial surgery went really well, but he was met with complications from COVID-19.
"He got back-to-back COVID," said Lademer. "In October and November of 2022, he was hospitalized for five weeks which caused him to eventually go into kidney rejection. It caused his kidneys to go into failure, and he's been on dialysis ever since. Now, with the deterioration of his lungs, he's on the transplant list for another double lung transplant. Once that's successful, he'll have to be on a transplant list for kidneys."
Lademer said right now Santino lives at home but is on oxygen 24/7 and his lung functions are down to under 40 per cent.
She said Santino does physiotherapy a few times a week in order to keep his stamina up.
"We're hoping a donor can be found, but the sad part of a donor being found is that somebody has to die for Santino to get double lungs," she said. "He's waiting for a match, but that could be soon or it could be a while."
Lademer said the family has launched a Go Fund Me page in hopes of securing some much-needed dollars.
She said the costs are overwhelming and not manageable without some assistance. The fundraising target is around $50,000 and, at last check, just over $1,800 had been generated by the community.
Right now, they're going to Toronto once a month for Santino's dialysis.
"We don't have to move to Toronto pre-transplant, but we will have to move with him post-transplant," she explained. "We'll have to be there anywhere from three to five months. So, I'm looking for help in order for us to live in Toronto for that foreseeable future until he's well enough to come home. Accommodations are hard to find, and it'll also assist with transportation back and forth for me, my husband, and other family members."
Lademer said she's grateful for any donation, and really wants to see Santino be able to breathe easier and reclaim his life.
She added he's always been there for others, and now it's our turn to be there for him.
Anyone wishing to help Santino can make a donation by clicking here.