'She's The One Who's Always Giving': Tulsa Woman In Need Of Lung Transplant After COVID Diagnosis

The COVID-19 national emergency may have ended, but some are still suffering from the lingering effects of the virus. A Tulsa woman was diagnosed with COVID three years ago and now needs a double lung transplant. 

Lonnie Vaughan says his wife Martha has had issues with her lungs for several years and was eventually diagnosed with Emphysema. He and his family knew how severe the symptoms of COVID could be if she caught it. 

"We did our best to avoid it, but she caught COVID, and she has not been the same since then," Vaughan said. 

He says Martha’s health kept getting worse and now she's lost 80% usage of her lungs. 

"It can change your life forever and we are not able to move on from that, it's still a part of our lives," Vaughan said. 

Martha is a trailblazer in the Tulsa community. She was the general manager at radio station KJMM 105.3. 

"She's the first African American woman to hold that title," Vaughan said. 

He says she's the kind of person who always has a smile and who loves her five children and five grandchildren. 

"She's the one who's always giving," Vaughan said. 

Her family says she's always given back to the community and now they're counting on the community to give back to her. Martha's family has started to raise money to help with her medical expenses and travel fees to and from doctors’ appointments, which are out of state. 

"The biggest majority of it is being taken care of through insurance, but even that small portion is more than our finances can handle,” Vaughan said.  

She's been accepted as a recipient of a double lung transplant from UT Southwestern in Dallas, but Martha must stay heathy while she waits to get a call from a potential doner.  

"I can't imagine life without her. We have plans, we have things to do," Vaughan said. 

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