The gift of life...Trey Schwab...9 years later

I got a note this morning from Trey Schwab on Facebook that today is the 9 year anniversary of his double lung transplant.  Cannot believe it has been 9 years already.  As many of you know, Trey was part of the Marquette basketball staff with Coach Tom Crean. He was diagnosed with a rare lung disease that limited his travel and required him to be on oxygen while sitting on the MU bench. 

Though he survived the double lung transplant 9 years ago, it's what happened a few weeks later that still defies medical logic.  Trey got up out of bed and something wasn't right.  He was struggling to breathe and minutes later was essentially clinically dead after 40 minutes of CPR.  There was almost no chance for his survival as a blood clot measuring an astounding 16 inches long had moved into his lungs.  It was removed from his body in an emergency surgery. 

At a press conference, Dr. Robert Love was asked how Trey was still alive.  "How can he have survived this? Well, I can explain the physiology and chemistry of what happened, but I cannot explain the supernatural. Many, many people here ... and around the country were praying for Trey during this time."

"This is so far out there," he said. "I've been in this business a long time, and I've seen a lot of critically ill (patients). But this is really something that is outside the bell curve of our experience, even at a big university center where we see high-end, complex things. Something beyond us was at work here."

Today, Trey heads up a program in Wisconsin to encourage people to donate organs and give the gift of life to others.

A few articles from back in the day about Trey and the impact to the Marquette basketball program.

Schwab dead for 40 minutes but makes miraculous recovery

MU players and staff send best wishes to Schwab

ESPN reports on surgery to remove clot

MJS article on Schwab's recovery