Woman undergoes successful double lung transplant at Phoenix hospital, can sing again

PHOENIX — A 41-year-old woman underwent a successful double lung transplant last fall in Phoenix and is singing once again following a decade-long battle with an autoimmune disease.

“I felt like I was stripped of my identity,” Ali Briskey said in a Friday press release. “But with time, I’ve been able to slowly build up the strength to get back to the things I love to do, and hope to be able to hike and swim soon.”

Briskey had the surgery done at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Norton Thoracic Institute only three days after being listed as a candidate, according to the press release.

Events leading to double lung transplant

Back in November 2023, Briskey was pregnant with her second child but her bout with scleroderma, or a disease that causes tightening of skin and connective tissues, evolved into “interstitial lung disease.” According to Mayo Clinic, scleroderma can affect the heart and lungs. In Briskey’s case, she endured “a buildup of scar tissue in (her) lungs.”

The birth of her child was without complication, but by September of 2024 Briskey required “10 liters” of oxygen at home.

After coming down with pneumonia, she was hospitalized at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s. It was there that Briskey was evaluated and approved as a transplant candidate.

Her singing voice was once only heard by her oldest son, but now her youngest can listen to it at full strength.

“It brings me so much joy,” Briskey said. “We sing a goodnight song as a family every night.”

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