Woman behind OomphForKaty campaign leaves hospital with new lungs
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Monday marked a joyous occasion for one local woman who has been waiting a long time for a chance to resume a normal life.
And early Monday afternoon, Katy Starck-Monte finally headed home.
The 30-year-old Queens woman who is the inspiration behind the #OomphForKaty viral campaign finally left New York Presbyterian Hospital after undergoing a double lung transplant.
From the waiting to the celebrity attention to the outreach to the surgery, Eyewitness News has been with Katy every step of the way.
And only Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson was there when Katy left the hospital.
"It's a little unnerving, but I'm excited," she said.
And what a moment it was, watching Katy take her first breath of fresh air in 96 days after doctors gave her the green light to go home.
"It kind of feels like it didn't happen, but I know I went through it," she said. "And it's just so far away now."
It was in no way, shape of form your typical hospital discharge, as Katy left with a new set of lungs and an enthusiastic international cheering section. It's all thanks to #OomphForKaty, a social media campaign that not only kept her spirits up but also raised awareness for the need for organ donors.
"That's exactly what I wanted to do," she said. "And I want people to know what organ donation is and the difference it can make."
Katy was admitted to the hospital in December. She has cystic fibrosis, a genetic lung disease, and had already undergone one double lung transplant. But there were complications that meant she needed another transplant in order to live.
In mid February, Katy and her husband Joe, a New York City firefighter, got word that there was a match.
"I was literally whisked away within a few minutes," she said. "So (I) didn't have much time to process it."
She admits now how nervous she is, having been here before.
"There's always going to be that fear in the back of my head, but I can't let that fear take hold," she said. "Because that's no way to live life."
Moving forward, doctors have warned Katy to think of herself like a newborn baby, as her immune system is essentially non existent.
"She's on a lot of meds to basically fool her body into believing that these are her lungs and not someone else's," Dr. Lori Shah said. "Our cold is her pneumonia and will land her in the hospital."
For now, Katy can't wait to see her dog. Oh, and there's one other thing.
"Maybe even starting the process of our own little family, a little Katy," she said. "Who knows? Just enjoy life and cherish the gift that's been given to me, thanks to my organ donor."
Starck-Monte's friend Kasey Barger came up with the idea to send well wishes. Barger said when Starck-Monte was losing steam, actress Blake Lively surprised everyone.
"When Blake came in and spent time with her and made her feel like she was a human being and she mattered," she said. "I think it really encouraged her to wait, and the next day, the call came, and Katy had another chance at life."
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