VERSAILLES, Ky. — A Versailles woman is on a long road to recovery after a five-organ transplant surgery.
What You Need To Know
- Rachel Downey-Cox underwent a five-organ transplant surgery in April
- Three months later she was cleared to return home
- The mother of two is recovering but it's a slow process
- Her husband, James, said he's on a mission to take care of her and battle a couple of leaks post surgery
In April, Rachel Downey Cox underwent surgery in an Indianapolis hospital. Now, the family is back home recuperating and healing.
“Today is a rough day, pain wise,” Downey-Cox said.
By her waist, she has three tubes that help her drain fluid. “You just want everything now,” Downey-Cox said.
The mother of two said she’s wanting an expedited recovery. But a life lesson she’s accepting more now than ever is taking it one day at a time.
“We always thought the third time was going to be a charm, well it was the fourth time. Yeah, April Fool's Easter weekend,” Downey-Cox said.
After three failed attempts, the family got the call in April. She had been matched for five organs.
“It's a really heart breaker, but literally right after that is when we got the fourth call, they had organs again,” Downey-Cox said. “And we get there, like two o'clock in the afternoon, and then three o'clock the next morning, I am going into surgery.”
Late April, Rachel’s mom Ellen shared that her daughter's fight with Crohn's Disease had been going on for more than two decades. But the good news finally came and it brought with it a newfound perspective.
“One of the things I have said for a long time, I have been on my deathbed over the years, many times,” Downey-Cox said. “And, so when my husband told me about that I thought, you know, I am definitely supposed to be here for a reason.”
Late June, the family returned to Indiana again. Her husband James Cox said doctors are concerned about a few leaks Rachel is experiencing, hoping they’ll heal.
“I tell people all the time that I feel like Rachel and I were put together for this exact reason,” Cox said.
The surgery lasted six hours. Cox said he considers himself as caretaker for his wife, cheering on her recovery.
“This is my purpose. Somewhat in life was to take care of her and make sure that she can enjoy life like she was supposed to,” Cox said.
Downey-Cox has turned a new leaf and is intending to help others on a similar path.
“I'm hoping to help as many people as I can in similar situations, because that makes me feel better and that if I can help somebody else,” Downey-Cox said.
Through their journey, the family has become organ donation advocates. In more good news, the family says Rachel's labs are stable and her organs are performing well.