CEDAR HILLS, Utah (KUTV) — A Utah mom of five with Stage 4 lung cancer underwent surgery to have her right lung removed Thursday. She is now on a transplant list and will remain in a medically-induced coma until one becomes available.Kelsey Flake was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer in 2024. After undergoing chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery, her cancer returned in both lungs in January.The cancer progressed to Stage 4. Flank only has 41% lung capacity and relies on oxygen full-time.MORE: Utah mom of five with Stage 4 lung cancer preparing for rare double-lung transplantShe is 39 years old. She’s never smoked and has been an athlete her whole life.“What they like to say in the cancer community is anybody who has lungs can get lung cancer,” said Kelsey husband, Jacob Flank.He spoke to 2News from Chicago, where Kelsey is part of an innovative double lung transplant study and Northwestern Medicine called the DREAM Program.“When we first started this process of fighting cancer and doing chemo, the transplant option seemed like an impossibility,” Jacob said. “But, as the treatments went on, it really ended up being the last option for us and that’s what this DREAM program is at Northwestern.”In order to qualify for the donor list, Kelsey had to first have one lung removed.“The doctor said everything went to plan,” Jacob said. “Now we’re just waiting for donor lungs to be made available for her.”He said the average wait time is two to four days.In the meantime, Kelsey will remain on a heart-lung machine in the ICU under constant supervision.Once her transplant is complete, Kelsey will remain in Chicago for a year. Jacob will stay with her, while their five kids remain in Utah until at least the end of 2026.“That’s going to be a pretty big challenge for our family, but fortunately we have amazing family and friends that are taking care of them,” he said.He said they’re sharing their story to help destigmatize lung cancer and bring awareness to Kelsey’s rare genetic mutation called the SFTPM gene variation.“It can manifest itself as many different lung issues, including fibrosis, cancer, COPD, and others,” Jacob explained.He said Kelsey’s family has been tested for the variant, and four of her six siblings also carry it.Jacob said that they’ve received incredible support from their community in Utah County and online, including from people who found personal similarities to Kelsey’s story.“It’s unfortunate that things like this are happening more often to people very similar to Kelsey; young, healthy people who don’t smoke and don’t do the traditional cancer-causing thing,” he added.He said this rare medical study has provided their family with hope that Kelsey will be given more time.“I really feel like this could be a miracle for many other people that are in our similar situation,” said Jacob.Kelsey’s brother has started a GoFundMe to help ease the financial burden of this time.To learn more about the DREAM program, click here._____
