Las Cruces Man Thrives 5 Years After Rare Lung Transplant

After seven months in a hospital bed fighting for every breath, Arthur Sanchez got a second chance at life that changed everything he thought mattered.

The Las Cruces man contracted COVID-19 in 2020, which led to post-COVID fibrosis, a severe lung disease that destroyed his ability to breathe normally. By August of that year, his condition had become so critical that he needed a double-lung transplant to survive.

St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix performed the groundbreaking surgery, making Sanchez the first post-COVID transplant patient in the western United States. The procedure came during the height of the pandemic, when medical teams were still learning about the virus's devastating long-term effects.

Now, five years after receiving his new lungs, Sanchez is thriving and sharing what those months of uncertainty taught him. "When you lay in a hospital bed for seven months, you have a lot of time to think about life and family and what's important and what's not important," he said.

His medical team remains amazed by his recovery and resilience. "Art's journey remains very special to the entire team," said Dr. Ashwini Arjuna, his lung transplant pulmonologist. "You cannot even believe it's five years since he got these beautiful lungs."

Why This Inspires

Sanchez's story represents hope for the thousands of people still dealing with long-term COVID complications. His successful transplant and five-year recovery proved that even the most severe post-COVID conditions can be overcome with advanced medical care and determination.

Beyond his physical recovery, Sanchez has emerged with deep gratitude for the medical personnel who risked their own health during the pandemic's darkest days to save his life. His transformation reminds us that sometimes our greatest challenges reveal what truly matters.

Five years later, every breath Sanchez takes is a celebration of medical innovation, human resilience, and the gift of life itself.