By Jeff Kelley 

Ty McLain wasn’t supposed to live this long. 

He wasn’t supposed to exercise, work, drive, or wake up with the kind of energy most people take for granted.

And he certainly wasn’t supposed to blow out birthday candles.

“This year, I did,” said Ty, who turned 43 four weeks after receiving a complete lung transplant. “That’s everything.”

The Williamsburg resident is the first patient to receive a lung transplant at VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center — a historic milestone marking the launch of the new program in Richmond. After being added to the transplant list in April 2025, he was transplanted on May 11.

My life isn’t just back — it’s better than it’s ever been. 

Ty McLain, VCU Health lung transplant patient

“This wasn’t just a first for our program, it was a turning point for VCU Health and the VCU School of Medicine. This moment is a big step forward to bringing this care to all corners of the Commonwealth,” said David Bruno, M.D., director of Hume-Lee Transplant Center. “The result is nothing short of a triumph for Mr. McLain, his family and our transplant program.”

Today, Ty says he feels better than he has in his entire life. 

“I wake up and I’m not tired. I have more energy than I know what to do with,” said Ty, who has already returned to the gym five days a week, walks regularly and is building strength he never had. “I’m breathing like I never could before.” 

Option of last resort for patients in need 

Vipul Patel, M.D., the medical director of Hume-Lee's lung transplant program, joined VCU Health from the University of Maryland in March 2024, bringing along the clinical experience needed to reestablish the program. Patel’s role is to manage clinical care before and after transplantation, from hospital to home. Patient education is the first step of any transplant.  

“Lung transplant is a very difficult journey for every patient,” Patel said. “Patients like Ty are ideal — he has a tremendous commitment and is compliant to the therapy both before and after transplant. That discipline is what makes all the difference.” 

 (Robin McLeod, Taylor MacKillop and Joe Kuttenkuler, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Considered more challenging than transplants for hearts, livers or kidneys – lung transplants pose serious risks. Unlike other transplanted organs, lungs are exposed to bacteria and pollutants from air, which makes them more likely to trigger an immune response. After transplant, they no longer get oxygen-rich blood from their original supply, making them more prone to inflammation and injury. Because of the deoxygenated blood and the constant contact with germs in the air, lungs have a higher risk of rejection than other organs. 

Immunosuppressant drugs, taken for the rest of the patient’s life, are needed to help reduce the risk of rejection and also weaken the recipient’s immune system. Unlike the heart, liver or kidney where many years can be added to a patient’s life, five to seven years is a best-case scenario for most lung transplant recipients.  

Still, the procedure provides hope and relief to patients with no other options and adds years to their lives with loved ones.   

A lifetime of struggling to breathe 

Born at just 26 weeks, Ty spent nearly a year in the NICU at a hospital in Norfolk. He survived, but his lungs never fully developed. For decades, his condition was misdiagnosed as asthma. 

He lived with constant shortness of breath, relying on nebulizers and steroid inhalers to function. By his early 40s, simple tasks like walking to the car left him gasping for air. 

Tami, Ty’s wife, pushed him to seek more advanced care after seeing how badly he was struggling.  

“For over 40 years, he went untreated. Just living his life, and he just kind of slipped through the cracks,” Tami said. 

Ty McLain's lungs never fully developed, which led to lifelong struggles with breathing. Ty thought he had asthma until he was diagnosed in his 40s with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). (Contributed photos)

In mid-2024, Ty met with a pulmonologist in Tidewater who diagnosed him with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a condition in premature newborns that can appear as asthma in adults but comes with underlying structural damage to the lungs. By October, Ty was referred to VCU Health. 

Within moments of their first meeting, Patel told Ty, who struggled to even breathe, that he needed a transplant — and soon. 

“Ty was one of the unfortunate people who reached adulthood and had lung damage because of his premature start to life,” Patel said. In addition to his condition, Ty was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that causes swelling, inflammation and irritation in the lungs and limits airflow. 

A transplant program — and patient — built on determination 

Starting the lung program required recruiting skilled providers, plus educating and training the existing multidisciplinary care team – critical care physicians, pharmacists, physical therapy, advance practice providers and nurses.  Many of them had never cared for a patient with new lungs. 

“I provide surgical support, but this is a team effort, and without them, this wouldn’t have been possible,” said Z.A. Hashmi, M.D, the lung transplant program’s surgical director and cardiothoracic surgeon who led Ty’s transplant. “They are the people who make this program successful.” 

Likewise, VCU Health’s nationally ranked Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine — recognized by U.S. News & World Report for excellence — and Internal Medicine departments were both instrumental in laying the foundation for the new lung transplant program. Their clinical expertise, research leadership and multidisciplinary collaboration ensured a seamless integration of advanced lung care into transplant services, making this program possible. 

Patricia Sime, M.D., department chair for Internal Medicine and a pulmonologist, said it’s a privilege to provide care to patients with many different and challenging chronic lung diseases. VCU Health pulmonologists work with each patient to optimize their therapy. 

“For some of these patients, lung transplantation can offer hope for the future, and we work closely with our teams to ensure that every patient receives expert and compassionate care before, during and after their transplant,” Sime said. “As a teaching institution, we also greatly appreciate the generosity of patients who share their stories and health care journey so our students can learn and develop into the expert clinicians and researchers of tomorrow." 

From left to right (back row): Z.A. Hashmi, M.D., Marlon Levy, M.D., MBA, Vipul Patel, M.D. and Nirvik Pal, M.D., with VCU Health patient Ty McLain and his wife, Tami McLain. (Caroline Ward, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

For lung transplant candidates, the process can be life-upending. Patients must live no more than two hours from a transplant center, of which there are only three in Virginia. By comparison, there are six centers in Virginia that perform more common kidney transplants, and candidates have up to 36 hours to get to the operating table.

The McLains knew the lung transplant program was brand new. But they put their faith in VCU Health. 

“It was a leap,” Tami said. “But we had hope. We knew this was Ty’s only shot.” 

Ty completed his transplant evaluation in April and was officially listed on April 15. Just three weeks later, on a Friday evening, the phone rang. 

“It was Dr. Patel. He said, ‘We’ve got lungs,’” said Tami. “I remember we had just ordered takeout from a restaurant — something we never do. Everything changed in that moment.” 

The surgery was two days later, on Mother’s Day, and lasted nearly 10 hours. With it, Ty became one of about 3,000 lung transplant recipients nationwide each year, according to the National Organ Sharing Network (UNOS). 

Life after transplant is ‘better than it’s ever been’ 

After transplant, Patel noted, many patients focus constantly on their breathing. And so, it’s a good sign, he said, when breathing becomes spontaneous and he can “focus on other, more everyday complaints.” 

Post-surgery, Ty’s transformation was almost immediate. His skin regained color. His breathing normalized. His focus and energy returned. And perhaps most remarkably, he looked decades younger. 

“He lost 20 years off his face,” said Tami. “Even his gray hair started coming back dark.” 

This journey is hard, but it’s worth it and you don’t have to go it alone. 

Tami McLain, wife of VCU Health patient Ty McLain 

Ty is thriving. He’s riding a bike, lifting weights and as of July 2025, was planning to return to work at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in Williamsburg. He even recently drove at night — something he hadn’t been able to do for years.  

“My life isn’t just back — it’s better than it’s ever been,” he said. 

The McLains have also taken on a new mission: They will lead VCU Health’s lung transplant support group for future candidates and families. 

“This journey is hard,” Tami said, “but it’s worth it and you don’t have to go it alone.” 

For Ty, the journey continues. “But I’m up for a challenge now,” he said. “Like that Tim McGraw song says, ‘you’ve got to live like you’re dying.’ And if I had to do this all over again? I would.” 

At VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center, our goal is to help you get your breath – and your life – back. Discover how our lung transplant care team can support you or call 804-828-4104.

Inspired by Ty’s story? Read more about our patients and providers.