What Happens When the Lungs Fail? This is Jaxen’s Story

What happens when the lungs stop working the way they should?

Pulmonary hypertension is a serious disease that makes it hard for the heart and lungs to do their jobs. In some cases, it can lead to life-threatening problems and the need for a lung transplant.

Jaxen Peacock was only 11 years old when his life changed. He started feeling dizzy and couldn’t even walk without crawling. At first, no one knew why. But after two months of tests, doctors found the right side of his heart was enlarged. He was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, a serious disease that has no cure and gets worse over time. His condition was so severe that medicines didn’t help. His health continued to decline, and doctors said he would need a double lung transplant to survive.

That’s when Jaxen’s mom, Cas, began searching for other options. She found hospital and contacted them right away, the team there agreed to take Jaxen. It was a turning point. When he arrived in June 2024, he was one of the sickest cases they had ever seen. He was on a life-support system called ECMO because his heart and lungs couldn’t work on their own.

To prepare Jaxen for a possible transplant, the medical team knew he needed to get stronger. Dr. David Morales performed surgery to place a special lung assist device (LAD). This helped his lungs rest while his heart got stronger. It also gave Jaxen the chance to begin rehabilitation. He worked with therapists, played games to improve his motor skills, and slowly built up his strength. He even learned to eat regular food again. His care team used everything from nutrition to Pokémon games to keep him motivated.

As Jaxen made progress, genetic testing revealed he had a rare mutation called SOX17. This caused his condition to develop into an even more severe disease—pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), where the small veins in the lungs become blocked. This made lung transplantation his only chance at survival.

Still, Jaxen didn’t give up. He worked hard. He went from being stuck in bed to walking two minutes without stopping. By October, he was healthy enough to be listed for a transplant. Then, good news came—a pair of donor lungs was available. The surgery lasted 12 hours, but Jaxen made it through. He even recovered faster than expected because of all the rehab he did before the transplant.

Today, Jaxen is breathing on his own. His feeding and chest tubes are gone. His doctors now call him the “poster child” for lung transplants. Every day, he continues to grow stronger, and Jaxen got his second chance at life.

How Pulmonary Hypertension Spreads

When the lungs start to fail because of pulmonary hypertension, the entire body feels the impact. Pulmonary hypertension is a kind of high blood pressure, but it doesn't affect the whole body — it hits the lungs and the right side of the heart. When blood vessels in the lungs get narrow, blocked, or damaged, blood can’t flow as easily. That raises the pressure inside those vessels, forcing the heart to pump harder to keep blood moving through the lungs.

This extra strain wears down the heart over time. The right side of the heart, especially the right ventricle, has to push blood into the lungs that are already high-pressure zones. As the disease progresses, this chamber of the heart grows larger — a condition called right ventricular hypertrophy. Eventually, the heart can’t keep up and begins to fail. This is called right-sided heart failure.

Right-sided heart failure doesn’t stay quiet. It sends shockwaves through the rest of the body. Organs don’t get the oxygen they need. You might feel tired all the time, notice swelling in your legs or belly, or find it harder and harder to breathe — even when resting. The symptoms can sneak up slowly, sometimes taking months or years to show up clearly. Over time, they get worse.

If left untreated, pulmonary hypertension becomes life-threatening. It not only harms the heart and lungs — it can lead to other serious issues like anemia, irregular heartbeats, or fluid building up around the heart (pericardial effusion). In pregnant women, it can cause complications for both the mother and baby.

There’s no cure yet, but treatment can make a big difference. Medicines and lifestyle changes can help the heart work better and ease symptoms. Getting a diagnosis early can be key. The longer pulmonary hypertension goes unnoticed, the more damage it can do.

Final Words

Pulmonary hypertension is a powerful disease that can change everything fast. It makes the heart work too hard, causes the lungs to shut down, and slowly puts the whole body at risk. But when doctors act quickly and the right tools are in place, there’s still a chance to fight back. With the right care, strength can return. Steps once impossible can happen again.