A person with Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) was the first person to receive a lung transplant at NYU Langone Transplant Institute, a newly opened transplant program in New York City.
Wanda Cepeda received her double lung transplant Feb. 10th. Cepeda had been turned down by other centers in the region.
“I had been fighting this disease for years, trying to stay healthy for my husband and our two daughters, but I was losing hope,” says Cepeda. “Dr. Angel was the first to say he wouldn’t turn me away. I’m so grateful for him and Dr. Kon—my dream team—for allowing me to hope again.”