Latest news with #Cornelia
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Double-lung transplant in U.S. saves German mother of twins
The timing of Cornelia Tischmacher's pneumonia couldn't have been worse -- eight months after the Berlin mom gave birth to twins. But the pneumonia just wouldn't go away, so Tischmacher went to a doctor in January 2018. Tests revealed that the then 40-year-old had stage 3 lung cancer. The diagnosis shocked Tischmacher, an active nonsmoker with a busy career as an art historian and gallerist. "I absolutely loved my job and had to travel quite a bit for work, but when I was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, my priorities immediately shifted. I knew I had to do everything I could to stay alive for my children," she said. "My twins would never hear me say the words, 'Mommy is going to die,' " Tischmacher vowed. Her road to survival eventually led to the United States, where Tischmacher received a double-lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago the day after Christmas 2024. "During our first telehealth visit with Cornelia, it was clear to us that she was at the end of the road," Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery and director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, said in a news release. "Cornelia had failed every other medical treatment available to her, including surgeries, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but the cancer continued to progress to stage 4 and became so advanced that it was causing her lungs to fail," said Bharat, who performed Tischmacher's surgery. "She couldn't breathe, and a lung transplant was her only option to fix the lung failure, remove all the cancer cells from her body, and give her a fighting chance to be there for her twins," Bharat said. Tischmacher received two new lungs under Northwestern's first-of-its-kind clinical program called DREAM, for Double Lung Transplant Registry Aimed for Lung-Limited Malignancies. "Receiving my lung transplant on Dec. 26 was the best Christmas present I could have asked for," Tischmacher said. "I remember waking up and thinking for the first time in a long time, I will be able to go to museums and go for bike rides with my kids without bringing an oxygen tank with me. "I could finally breathe again," she continued. "It was such a gift that I don't take for granted, and I encourage everyone [who is able] to register as an organ donor -- not just in the United States, but also in Germany." Tischmacher's treatment path started with surgery and chemotherapy in June 2018 to get rid of her initial lung cancer. But by October 2019, the cancer had returned. Doctors told her all they could do was slow down her cancer's progression using chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Tischmacher discovered the DREAM program last June, when she could no longer breathe without supplemental oxygen. In the program, select patients with advanced lung cancers that haven't spread elsewhere can be considered for a double-lung transplant. After being accepted to the DREAM program, Tischmacher flew from Berlin to Chicago in an air ambulance in December 2024. On Christmas Eve, Tischmacher entered the ICU at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and took her place on the transplant waiting list. Two days after being listed, she received a donated pair of lungs. "With how quickly her disease was progressing, it was clear to us that Cornelia would not be able to leave the hospital without receiving a lung transplant," said Dr. Krishnan Warrior, a lung transplant pulmonologist at Northwestern's Canning Thoracic Institute who has been caring for Tischmacher. Tischmacher was receiving up to 60 liters of oxygen per minute, "which is the absolute limit you can supply without a ventilator," Warrior said in a news release. "For that very reason, we worked around the clock to complete her lung transplant workup and arrange all the logistics needed for her to stay in the United States." The transplant surgery involves putting the patient on full heart and lung bypass, gently removing both cancer-ridden lungs long with the lymph nodes, then washing the airways and the chest cavity to clear away cancer cells before putting in the new lungs, Bharat said. "These patients can have billions of cancer cells in the lungs, so we must be extremely meticulous to not let a single cell spill into the patient's chest cavity or blood stream," he said. Tischmacher, now 48, spent one week recovering at Northwestern Memorial before being discharged to an apartment in Chicago. She'll spend a year in the city to be near her transplant team. Her husband, Udo Kittelmann, and their 8-year-old twins, Leo and Lucie, remained in Berlin so the kids could continue their schooling, but they were able to visit during spring break in mid-April. "Seeing my children for the first time in four months was absolutely wonderful. The weight of my illness had weighed them down, and to see me healthy again was overwhelming - but in a good way," Tischmacher said. "It's a happy continuation of the story because it could have been so different. When we said our initial 'goodbyes' in December, it was much more dramatic because we didn't know how things would go." Tischmacher is currently cancer-free and has recovered enough to walk around Chicago, taking in the city's art galleries and breathe on her own. She's the first patient from Germany to receive a lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine, doctors said. Past patients have traveled from Asia, Brazil, Colombia, Canada, the Middle East and other parts of Europe. Northwestern Medicine surgeons have performed more than 50 lung transplants for patients with advanced lung cancers, the school says. "On a daily basis, we're seeing more young women being diagnosed with lung cancer," Bharat said. "Conventionally, lung cancer has been associated with smoking and older age. While smoking certainly increases your chances of developing lung cancer, we're seeing an explosion of lung cancer cases in patients who have never smoked or had limited smoking exposure -- like Cornelia," he continued. "The majority of them are young, and the majority are women, and we still aren't sure why this is happening." The Canning Thoracic Institute also has launched a universal lung cancer screening program that evaluates patients even if their insurance doesn't cover the test. Doctors plan to share their findings as part of an effort to expand lung cancer screenings to all people past a certain age. "If lung cancer is causing the most deaths in this country, impacting smokers and nonsmokers, we need a universal screening program just like we have for breast and colon cancer," Bharat said. More information The American Lung Association has more on lung transplants. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Double-lung transplant in U.S. saves German mother of twins
The timing of Cornelia Tischmacher's pneumonia couldn't have been worse -- eight months after the Berlin mom gave birth to twins. But the pneumonia just wouldn't go away, so Tischmacher went to a doctor in January 2018. Tests revealed that the then 40-year-old had stage 3 lung cancer. The diagnosis shocked Tischmacher, an active nonsmoker with a busy career as an art historian and gallerist. "I absolutely loved my job and had to travel quite a bit for work, but when I was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, my priorities immediately shifted. I knew I had to do everything I could to stay alive for my children," she said. "My twins would never hear me say the words, 'Mommy is going to die,' " Tischmacher vowed. Her road to survival eventually led to the United States, where Tischmacher received a double-lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago the day after Christmas 2024. "During our first telehealth visit with Cornelia, it was clear to us that she was at the end of the road," Dr. Ankit Bharat, chief of thoracic surgery and director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, said in a news release. "Cornelia had failed every other medical treatment available to her, including surgeries, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but the cancer continued to progress to stage 4 and became so advanced that it was causing her lungs to fail," said Bharat, who performed Tischmacher's surgery. "She couldn't breathe, and a lung transplant was her only option to fix the lung failure, remove all the cancer cells from her body, and give her a fighting chance to be there for her twins," Bharat said. Tischmacher received two new lungs under Northwestern's first-of-its-kind clinical program called DREAM, for Double Lung Transplant Registry Aimed for Lung-Limited Malignancies. "Receiving my lung transplant on Dec. 26 was the best Christmas present I could have asked for," Tischmacher said. "I remember waking up and thinking for the first time in a long time, I will be able to go to museums and go for bike rides with my kids without bringing an oxygen tank with me. "I could finally breathe again," she continued. "It was such a gift that I don't take for granted, and I encourage everyone [who is able] to register as an organ donor -- not just in the United States, but also in Germany." Tischmacher's treatment path started with surgery and chemotherapy in June 2018 to get rid of her initial lung cancer. But by October 2019, the cancer had returned. Doctors told her all they could do was slow down her cancer's progression using chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Tischmacher discovered the DREAM program last June, when she could no longer breathe without supplemental oxygen. In the program, select patients with advanced lung cancers that haven't spread elsewhere can be considered for a double-lung transplant. After being accepted to the DREAM program, Tischmacher flew from Berlin to Chicago in an air ambulance in December 2024. On Christmas Eve, Tischmacher entered the ICU at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and took her place on the transplant waiting list. Two days after being listed, she received a donated pair of lungs. "With how quickly her disease was progressing, it was clear to us that Cornelia would not be able to leave the hospital without receiving a lung transplant," said Dr. Krishnan Warrior, a lung transplant pulmonologist at Northwestern's Canning Thoracic Institute who has been caring for Tischmacher. Tischmacher was receiving up to 60 liters of oxygen per minute, "which is the absolute limit you can supply without a ventilator," Warrior said in a news release. "For that very reason, we worked around the clock to complete her lung transplant workup and arrange all the logistics needed for her to stay in the United States." The transplant surgery involves putting the patient on full heart and lung bypass, gently removing both cancer-ridden lungs long with the lymph nodes, then washing the airways and the chest cavity to clear away cancer cells before putting in the new lungs, Bharat said. "These patients can have billions of cancer cells in the lungs, so we must be extremely meticulous to not let a single cell spill into the patient's chest cavity or blood stream," he said. Tischmacher, now 48, spent one week recovering at Northwestern Memorial before being discharged to an apartment in Chicago. She'll spend a year in the city to be near her transplant team. Her husband, Udo Kittelmann, and their 8-year-old twins, Leo and Lucie, remained in Berlin so the kids could continue their schooling, but they were able to visit during spring break in mid-April. "Seeing my children for the first time in four months was absolutely wonderful. The weight of my illness had weighed them down, and to see me healthy again was overwhelming - but in a good way," Tischmacher said. "It's a happy continuation of the story because it could have been so different. When we said our initial 'goodbyes' in December, it was much more dramatic because we didn't know how things would go." Tischmacher is currently cancer-free and has recovered enough to walk around Chicago, taking in the city's art galleries and breathe on her own. She's the first patient from Germany to receive a lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine, doctors said. Past patients have traveled from Asia, Brazil, Colombia, Canada, the Middle East and other parts of Europe. Northwestern Medicine surgeons have performed more than 50 lung transplants for patients with advanced lung cancers, the school says. "On a daily basis, we're seeing more young women being diagnosed with lung cancer," Bharat said. "Conventionally, lung cancer has been associated with smoking and older age. While smoking certainly increases your chances of developing lung cancer, we're seeing an explosion of lung cancer cases in patients who have never smoked or had limited smoking exposure -- like Cornelia," he continued. "The majority of them are young, and the majority are women, and we still aren't sure why this is happening." The Canning Thoracic Institute also has launched a universal lung cancer screening program that evaluates patients even if their insurance doesn't cover the test. Doctors plan to share their findings as part of an effort to expand lung cancer screenings to all people past a certain age. "If lung cancer is causing the most deaths in this country, impacting smokers and nonsmokers, we need a universal screening program just like we have for breast and colon cancer," Bharat said. More information The American Lung Association has more on lung transplants. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
News.com.au
29-04-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
LiveBetter admits to criminal breach in death of disabled woman
A major disability services provider has admitted to a criminal breach of its duty of care after a young Indigenous woman suffered fatal burns while under its care. Kyah Lucas, 28, who was non-verbal and had multiple disabilities, died in hospital five days after being bathed in scalding water by two workers from National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider LiveBetter during a support session in Orange in the NSW Central Tablelands in February 2022. On Monday, LiveBetter pleaded guilty in the NSW District Court to breaching its primary duty of health and safety regarding Ms Lucas's death. A second charge of failing to immediately notify the workplace regulator of Ms Lucas's injuries was dismissed. A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date. The case was brought by SafeWork NSW, which alleged LiveBetter engaged in negligent or reckless conduct by failing to implement basic safety measures, such as auditing the hot water system or checking bath water temperatures with a thermometer. Regulatory documents said the organisation also failed to properly train staff to safely bathe NDIS clients and to respond appropriately after a burns incident. Ms Lucas had profound intellectual disabilities, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, was non-verbal, unable to walk independently and struggled to regulate her temperature, vulnerabilities LiveBetter was aware of. On the day she was injured, LiveBetter staff removed Ms Lucas from the bath with her skin peeling. A temperature control panel revealed the water temperature was 60C, far above the safe limit of 42C. Ms Lucas died five days later at Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Sydney. In February, LiveBetter said it was working with regulators and agencies to ensure a safe work environment for both staff and clients. 'LiveBetter continues to mourn the tragic death of Kyah Lucas … and our thoughts remain with her grieving family,' it said at the time. The criminal case follows separate Federal Court proceedings last year when LiveBetter was fined a record $1.8m after admitting to 17 breaches of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Act. The Federal Court was told LiveBetter fundamentally failed in its duty of care to Ms Lucas, including failing to conduct a formal risk assessment of her home, properly train and assess support workers in safe bathing techniques and deliver timely and appropriate care on the day she was burned. Justice Elizabeth Raper said the tragic case highlighted 'fundamental failures' by LiveBetter to provide quality supports and services as required under the NDIS Act. She noted LiveBetter staff had learnt 'on the job,' with training assessments limited to an online quiz. 'The specific harm suffered by Ms Lucas was of the most acute kind, so too can it be said of the harm to Ms Lucas's family,' Justice Raper said. 'There are no words to properly express the degree of the harm suffered. 'LiveBetter accepts that the nature and extent of the contraventions causing loss are serious as they ultimately resulted in the death of Ms Lucas.' Ms Lucas had been a long-term client of LiveBetter since 2009. Despite this, the organisation failed to identify the risks associated with her condition and implement proper safety measures, the Federal Court found. The $1.8m penalty imposed was close to the maximum available under the legislation. Justice Raper said the penalty reflected the 'tragic and untimely' nature of Ms Lucas's death and reinforced the importance of compliance with the high standards expected of NDIS providers. Ms Lucas's family did not make a statement to the court, but the judgment acknowledged her vulnerability and the devastating impact of her loss. Following the 2024 judgment, former NDIS minister Bill Shorten said disability providers had a fundamental responsibility to do everything possible to keep participants safe. 'LiveBetter failed to look after Kyah Lucas. She was a vulnerable woman who needed support, safeguarding and care,' Mr Shorten said. LiveBetter acknowledged the court's decision and confirmed it accepted the outcome. 'This is a very significant penalty that reflects the seriousness of the circumstance surrounding Kyah's death,' a statement read. 'Kyah's death is a tragedy that has impacted all of us and our deepest sympathies remain with her family.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Woman fatally scalded in 60C bath
A major disability services provider has admitted to a criminal breach of its duty of care after a young Indigenous woman suffered fatal burns while under its care. Kyah Lucas, 28, who was non-verbal and had multiple disabilities, died in hospital five days after being bathed in scalding water by two workers from National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider LiveBetter during a support session in Orange in the NSW Central Tablelands in February 2022. On Monday, LiveBetter pleaded guilty in the NSW District Court to breaching its primary duty of health and safety regarding Ms Lucas's death. A second charge of failing to immediately notify the workplace regulator of Ms Lucas's injuries was dismissed. A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date. The case was brought by SafeWork NSW, which alleged LiveBetter engaged in negligent or reckless conduct by failing to implement basic safety measures, such as auditing the hot water system or checking bath water temperatures with a thermometer. Regulatory documents said the organisation also failed to properly train staff to safely bathe NDIS clients and to respond appropriately after a burns incident. Ms Lucas had profound intellectual disabilities, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, was non-verbal, unable to walk independently and struggled to regulate her temperature, vulnerabilities LiveBetter was aware of. On the day she was injured, LiveBetter staff removed Ms Lucas from the bath with her skin peeling. A temperature control panel revealed the water temperature was 60C, far above the safe limit of 42C. Ms Lucas died five days later at Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Sydney. In February, LiveBetter said it was working with regulators and agencies to ensure a safe work environment for both staff and clients. 'LiveBetter continues to mourn the tragic death of Kyah Lucas … and our thoughts remain with her grieving family,' it said at the time. The criminal case follows separate Federal Court proceedings last year when LiveBetter was fined a record $1.8m after admitting to 17 breaches of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Act. The Federal Court was told LiveBetter fundamentally failed in its duty of care to Ms Lucas, including failing to conduct a formal risk assessment of her home, properly train and assess support workers in safe bathing techniques and deliver timely and appropriate care on the day she was burned. Justice Elizabeth Raper said the tragic case highlighted 'fundamental failures' by LiveBetter to provide quality supports and services as required under the NDIS Act. She noted LiveBetter staff had learnt 'on the job,' with training assessments limited to an online quiz. 'The specific harm suffered by Ms Lucas was of the most acute kind, so too can it be said of the harm to Ms Lucas's family,' Justice Raper said. 'There are no words to properly express the degree of the harm suffered. 'LiveBetter accepts that the nature and extent of the contraventions causing loss are serious as they ultimately resulted in the death of Ms Lucas.' Ms Lucas had been a long-term client of LiveBetter since 2009. Despite this, the organisation failed to identify the risks associated with her condition and implement proper safety measures, the Federal Court found. The $1.8m penalty imposed was close to the maximum available under the legislation. Justice Raper said the penalty reflected the 'tragic and untimely' nature of Ms Lucas's death and reinforced the importance of compliance with the high standards expected of NDIS providers. Ms Lucas's family did not make a statement to the court, but the judgment acknowledged her vulnerability and the devastating impact of her loss. Following the 2024 judgment, former NDIS minister Bill Shorten said disability providers had a fundamental responsibility to do everything possible to keep participants safe. 'LiveBetter failed to look after Kyah Lucas. She was a vulnerable woman who needed support, safeguarding and care,' Mr Shorten said. LiveBetter acknowledged the court's decision and confirmed it accepted the outcome. 'This is a very significant penalty that reflects the seriousness of the circumstance surrounding Kyah's death,' a statement read. 'Kyah's death is a tragedy that has impacted all of us and our deepest sympathies remain with her family.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
An EV Expert Thinks Fast Charging Is Overrated. Here's Why It's OK to Take Your Time Powering Back Up.
A look at recent automotive news will show you that EV manufacturers are slashing charging times in an effort to compete with the amount of time you would spend at a gas station. Andrew Cornelia, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging, called this into question on a recent episode of Inside EV's Plugged-In podcast, claiming that many automakers could be overreaching. And he may have a point. We recently reported that BYD, a Chinese automaker, had laid out plans for a 1,000 kW charging solution that would effectively quadruple the amount of electricity that any Tesla model can currently accept. In theory, it sounds great. We always welcome new technology, and so does Cornelia, but he has some very interesting insight about how we should approach juicing up EVs. Tesla's 3rd-generation Superchargers can supply up to 250 kW of power, able to add approximately 175-200 miles of range in 15 minutes. With Tesla and many other automakers continuing to steadily slash charging times, Cornelia says we could be closer to the Goldilocks zone than we think. He says that charge times of 10, even 12 minutes, would be perfectly acceptable given the time that motorists tend to 'dwell' at the gas station. We car enthusiasts like to think we're pretty economical with our time at the gas station, but let's face it, we're actually not. While it may only take four minutes to fill up with fuel, that's only the amuse bouche of gas station amenities. Most of us might need to go inside and use the facilities, and maybe even snag a beverage and a snack if we're on an extended road trip. Some gas stations will even have more substantial food options like sandwiches or even fast food chains if you're especially lucky. After all is said and done, it's pretty easy to find yourself at the gas station for longer than 10 minutes. Just whatever you do, don't park at the pump if you have to venture inside for any accoutrement. Nobody wants to wait for you to complete your weekly grocery shop when they're just looking to top up with fuel. Cornelia noted that rather than going for outright speed, the charging experience should match the dwell time—adding that there are rarely scenarios where uber-fast charging makes sense. For this exact reason, Mercedes is laying plans to build its upcoming charging stations at points of interest like Starbucks and even Buc-ee's, a Southern chain of mega gas stations. All this talk against ultra-fast charging doesn't mean that Mercedes-Benz isn't committed to optimizing fast charging for those who need it. Far from it. Many of us don't have access to a garage that would allow us to slowly add range overnight. Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging still plans to offer 400 kW charging stations, with more than enough muscle to juice up almost any EV in mere moments. For context, Tesla's 4th-generation Superchargers won't be much better, quoting a 500 kW output. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
