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Knoxville Native Awaits Life-Saving Lung Transplant After Rare Diagnoses

  • Michael Burnett, diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in Dec. 2023, was referred to UAB by a pulmonologist at UT Medical, but the facility couldn't support post-transplant pain management, so he is awaiting responses from three other hospitals.
  • Burnett stopped working and went on disability after a cruise, losing energy and giving up gardening, which deeply altered daily life for Michael Burnett and Sheila Burnett in Newport.
  • `Being able to breathe`, Mike Burnett said, reflecting his hope to stop carrying an oxygen tank; he described avoiding oxygen and struggling with cables, while Sheila Burnett noted testing showed only chronic back issues.
  • All candidate transplant centers are at least five hours away from Newport, but Sheila Burnett said `We'll have to make home wherever Mike's at` and they accept the logistical strain.
  • Researchers recommend creating multicenter registries and collaborative frameworks as specialized transplant centers have limited availability and expertise for complex cases.
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WBIR broke the news in on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
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