I plan on moving to Toronto to have the operation. Why Toronto? I have an infection called Burkholderia cepacia, which prohibits me from having the operation performed in BC. Burkholderia cepacia complex is a family of bacteria that rarely causes infections in healthy people. However, these germs are a problem for persons with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), and certain other individuals who cannot fight infections properly. In contrast to BC, Toronto will perform double lung transplants on individuals who are B. cepacia positive.

The living expenses and relocation costs associated with this procedure are not cheap. It can cost upwards of $100,000, depending on the length of stay. One of my friends, who moved to Toronto for a double lung transplant and had a relatively short stay overall, had living expenses which totaled $93,000. Once I get to Toronto I will have to rent an apartment downtown, as close to the hospital as possible, and wear a pager 24 hours a day in the event that I get the call. After the operation, rehabilitation will take a minimum of 3 months; there is no maximum.