Kim Pace in need for a double-lung transplant

WYOMING – Kim Pace has been an assistant football coach at Wyoming Area since 2014 as a kicking specialist.

It was a lifelong dream to coach at his alma mater but before he gets back on the field for the 2022 campaign, he needs a lifesaving, double-lung transplant and he needs help.

Pace, 69, a retired financial adviser, has had his share of medical setbacks in the last decade or so going back to 2012 when he had brain surgery, taking 19 months to recover.

“That surgery nearly broke us,” Pace said. “It took a long time to come back and in the last year or so, we just financially came back from that.”

Pace suffered from trigeminal neuralgia, or TN, a rare and uncommon form of nerve pain that affects the fifth cranial nerve, which is one of the most extensive in the head and which carries signals from the face to the brain.

“TN is considered one of the most painful conditions known to mankind,” Pace said. “The facial pain was so bad and continuous, I was a basket case. To make matters worse, I had a bad gallbladder on top of that at the same time.”

After the brain surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, through Dr. Ben Carson’s department, most of the facial pain was eliminated with the exception of some sensitivity in his lips.

In 2014 when the coaching job was offered, Pace was elated to join the team going on to have great success on the field, including a PIAA state championship team in 2019.

Pace started to notice breathing difficulties in 2015 and initially the progression was slow before being diagnosed with Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis, which is the scarring causes stiffness in the lungs which makes it difficult to breathe and get oxygen to the bloodstream. Lung damage is often irreversible and gets worse over time, such as in Pace’s case.

“I noticed just a little bit (of breathing difficulty),” Pace said. “I thought I needed more conditioning. When I saw the pictures of my lungs, I was really surprised. It’s out of control now.”

Pace is on a list to receive donor lungs at Johns Hopkins Hospital and for now, it’s a waiting game.

“Whenever one comes available we will be ready,” Pace said, on when a potential donor could happen. “When I went for my (lung transplant) testing, they told me I was on too much oxygen and I was just a 9-1-1 phone call waiting to happen.”

Currently, Pace’s lung capacity is down to 19% and dropping.

“I was doing okay with my oxygen tank set on a 3-liter pulse, but after the Southern Columbia game last fall, I had a huge escalation of the disease and that was it, it’s a tough thing to handle. You feel like your drowning all the time. I couldn’t walk 30 yards before I had to stop to breathe.”

Recently, Wyoming Area head football coach Randy Spencer, Wyoming Area Football Alumni Association’s Lou Ciampi and Tom Campenni have stepped up to help Pace by setting up financial donations with a GoFundMe page with a goal of $30,000.

According to Pace, his insurance will cover a great deal of the surgery, but the post-surgery will be expensive with travel, overnight stays, parking, food and other incidentals.

“This was the last thing I wanted to do was a fundraiser,” Pace added. “The hospital recommended a fundraiser of sorts because they know how expensive my recovery will be for many years.”

“I want to thank everyone involved with putting this together for Carol and me. It’s a lot of work and they didn’t have to do it, it’s a great relief.”

Pace and his wife Carol are ready for the call from Johns Hopkins any day. A suitcase has been packed and placed in the car when that call comes in from the surgeons.

“The bags have been packed for the last five weeks. It is what it is, and it’s going to get fixed and I’m just waiting for the call.”

To contribute to Pace’s Lungs for Life GoFundMe account, set your browser to: https://gofund.me/b7bce09a.