A longtime Flower Mound resident has been on one of the longest waiting lists for one of the rarest surgical procedures, and now she is on the long road to recovery.
Emily Klamkin, now 39 years old, has been fighting for her life for a while.
After seven years, at 9:40 p.m. on Memorial Day, she got the call that five matching organs were ready for her in Miami. Klamkin and her parents hopped on a donated private flight within hours of the call.
“It had been so long, we hadn’t forgotten about it, but we just weren’t as prepared as we thought,” said Peter Klamkin, Emily’s father. “So, we rushed and by 6 a.m. the next morning, we were at the airport headed to Miami.”
Following a complex, 13-hour surgery to replace Klamkin’s small and large intestines, stomach, pancreas and liver, which came with its own complications, she is finally on the road to recovery.
All five came from the same organ donor who passed away in an accident.
“Above my need for prayer, I ask for prayer for my donor’s family,” reads Emily’s fundraising page. “A tragic loss of a teenager brought life to me.”
Between medical bills, travel and living costs away from home, Klamkin’s parents, Susie and Peter Klamkin, have been raising money to continue supporting their daughter.
According to her parents, Emily’s road to recovery has included two more surgeries, multiple infections, two bouts of pneumonia and trouble breathing. As of the end of July, Emily has been progressing, but remains in the surgical intensive care unit.
The Klamkins had lived in Flower Mound for 20 years before moving to Argyle in April. However, they’ve spent more time in the hospital than their new residence.
“The recovery is really tough,” said Peter Klamkin. “We may very well be in the hospital for six months or a year after this.”
But Emily’s chance at a life without constant pain is worth it.
“It gives us hope that she can have a life that any other 39-year-old woman would want,” said Peter Klamkin. “To finish college, to have a career, to start a family – just to be on her own.”
Longtime contributing writer for The Cross Timbers Gazette Bob Weir has documented Emily’s journey since 2018.
She was born with intestinal pseudo obstruction caused by mitochondrial disease. It took doctors four years after her birth to diagnose the obstruction and find that she also had chronic pancreatitis, and another seven years to diagnose the mitochondrial disease.
Klamkin has dealt with constant strokes and seizures throughout her life and had multiple surgeries done early in her life to remove 1/3 of her stomach, her large intestine and most of her small intestine.
She has been in line for a 5-organ transplant for years, and her time finally came three months ago.
The community has consistently shown up to help the Klamkin family.
Former Flower Mound mayor Tom Hayden, State Senator Tan Parker, nationally-known entertainer David Magee, former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Chad Hennings and many local businesses came together at a packed Circle R Ranch in September 2018 to raise funds for the Klamkins to live in Miami.
That night, Bridgeway Church donated $24,000 from the congregation to support the Klamkin fundraiser.
“It was a night to remember on many levels, not the least of which was that we once again proved what the power of purpose-driven people can do for their fellow brothers and sisters,” wrote Weir when recalling the special night. “Looking around the room and feeling the energy of so many good people, I had the feeling that someone divine also had a seat in that audience.”
The night gave the Klamkins hope, and were eternally grateful for the community. That sentiment remains today as Emily powers through the long road to recovery.
“We want to express our deepest gratitude to each one of you,” reads the fundraising page. “If you would please keep me in your prayers as I recover from this. It’s going to be a bumpy road.”
For more information, visit the fundraising page that helps support the Klamkin family through Emily’s recovery.
