Curtis Almeter, an Anderson native and Crowder College graduate, will receive a life-saving lung transplant this afternoon in St. Louis.
“I’ve been joking around about it, telling people I wanted lungs for Christmas,” Almeter said. “It’s ironic that I ended up getting the call today.”
The 26-year-old was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a newborn. His health declined rapidly this year, and he was placed on the national transplant list in November.
The surgery is taking place at Barnes Jewish Hospital, one of the leading hospitals for lung transplant surgery.
It could last up to 10 hours, Almeter said.
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To read a previous story about Almeter and view a slide show of photos documenting his struggle with cystic fibrosis, click here.
