Dellas’s Story

Site created on May 8, 2021

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
**Brief TImeline:

January 2013 Dellas was diagnosed with IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis). This is a progressive disease that has no cure as of right now.  Like with many other diseases there is research being done.  Dellas has always had a positive attitude and didn't let this knock him down.  IPF ultimately slowed Dellas down over time. He didn't let it interfere with his love of sports broadcasting. 


December  2018 Brookings Radio with the support of many local businesses and sports teams held a fundraiser known as DC night at Cubby's Sports bar and grill downtown Brookings to raise money to help offset medical expenses

August 2019 is when Dellas had his first set of appointments at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. 


January 2020 Dellas was placed on the lung transplant list. 

Like many March 2020 will be a month and year many of us will remember as it is the month that Covid 19 affected many people's lives. This is when Dellas with his decreased immune system had to stay home. Which only allowed him to work part-time.   


April 21, 2021, was a date that will be remembered by our family. It is the date on which Dellas got the life-changing phone call that there were matching lungs on the way to Mayo and that he needed to be on his way also. 


April 22, 2021, Dellas underwent 10-hour transplant surgery.


April 23rd to May 9th, 2021 Dellas has been going through daily exercises along with PT. He has been slowly been making positive progress in the recovery process. 



***Want to send Dellas a positive note or well wishes?
Phone:
6056950065 (text or call)


Address: 
Gift of Life Transplant House 
Dellas Cole 
705 second St SW #54
Rochester, MN 55902 

Newest Update

July 22, 2021

Journal entry by Margie Cole —

A few pictures to share ---

#1 Dellas received his certificate for his transplant. He was the 285th lung transplant done at St. Marys-Mayo.
#2 The two other guys with Dellas are also lung transplant patients who were in our Gift of Life Transplant House. 
#3 Dellas and I sitting by the clinic on our last day of appointments !
#4 Our first visitors - Ted and Lou after we got home ! 
#5 Our first picture together on our deck after arriving home.

The last three months have been an overwhelming journey or as Dellas says it was an adventure.  We have been extremely blessed. First and foremost the donor and their family have given Dellas the greatest gift. We do not know them and we hope in time we will hear from them. 
We have so many people to thank for their support especially over the last three months. The cards, letters, calls, messages, prayers and those who came to visit us. We live in a great community, with many very caring, generous people.

WE ARE HOME  !!!
Recovery continues and on a good path.
Read More of the journal titled "July 22, 2021"
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