Valley Mom to Celebrate Mother’s Day With Family After Double Lung Transplant

PHOENIX, Ariz. (May 9, 2025) - A young Valley mother is looking forward to celebrating Mother’s Day with her children, after undergoing a double lung transplant just after Mother’s Day last year at Norton Thoracic Institute at Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.

Speaking about how it feels to spend this Mother’s Day with her children rather than in the hospital, Dianne Lomas, 34, says "This year, Mother’s Day will mean so much. This is my second chance. My kids gave me the strength I needed to heal. I wouldn't have made it without them.”

Lomas had just given birth to her third child prematurely in October 2023 when she contracted COVID-19.Unable to visit her newborn in the NyICU, and with her condition only getting worse, Lomas was eventually admitted to a Valley hospital where she was diagnosed with pneumonia and a rare autoimmune condition known as Anti-MDA5 Dermatomyositis (MDA5). 

Meanwhile, Lomas’ second-born child, who was just a year old at the time, underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor from his skull. Though his surgery was successful, Lomas and her newborn remained hospitalized.

As Lomas’ condition continued to deteriorate, she was placed on ECMO for four months and she was in need of a double lung transplant to save her life. MDA5 causes those afflicted with it to have a high antibody count, and a risk of recurrence of disease after transplant, making them an unlikely transplant candidate. Very few transplant centers will perform lung transplants on MDA5 patients because of the high risk involved. 

Lomas was determined to get accepted into a transplant program. She began doing the recommended exercises every day while on ECMO, to be ready in time for her transplant evaluation.

“All I would think is ‘I need to be there for my babies’,” said Lomas. “They were my main motivation.”

By April, Lomas was eventually transferred to St. Joseph’s Norton Thoracic Institute where she was assessed for transplant, accepted into the program and placed on the transplant list. 

On May 13, 2024 – the day after Mother’s Day – Lomas was told the news that would change her life. A donor match had been found and her transplant was scheduled for the same day.

Upon waking after the surgery, Lomas and her family were elated to learn the transplant surgery had been successful. 

“It was just like ‘We're finally here.’ It was very emotional.” 

Speaking about the success of her transplant, Lomas’ transplant pulmonologist Bhuvin Buddhdev, MD, FCCP, said "We are very excited for Dianna. The team takes these cases to heart and we treat our patients like they are members of our own family. We are thankful to God for making this happen for Dianna and are glad that we were able to perform her transplant."

These days, Lomas heads back to St. Joseph’s for regular follow up, as needed IV treatments, and as well as bronchoscopies every three months. 

“So far, we haven't seen Anti-MDA5 antibodies come back in Dianna,” Dr. Buddhdev shared. “Her chest CT scan looks great, pulmonary function testing is excellent, and her lungs are clear.”

Lomas’ main focus though, is spending as much time with her children as possible, and being grateful for the opportunity to do so. “There are days where my kids can be a bit rambunctious, but I remind myself that it’s okay. It’s a blessing to be here with them.”

Reflecting on her gratitude for the physicians and staff who cared for her, Lomas shared, “They saved my life and are the reasons I'm able to open my eyes to see my babies every day. I’m so grateful to them and the donor for giving me this second chance at life.”

As for her advice to others in the same situation? “Have faith and never give up. I had a small chance of living. But I had faith and I put it in God’s hands.”