Franklin Park Mayor Barrett Pedersen said he is “feeling great” days after having lung transplant surgery, now working remotely and expecting to be back at work in person before the month is out.
Pedersen, 67, was open about the surgery and why he had to have it, explaining to Pioneer Press that the procedure began at around 2 a.m. June 3 at an area hospital and took six to seven hours to complete.
“I’m feeling great. I didn’t anticipate my recovery to be as rapid,” Pedersen said.
He said his medical team told him that recovery typically takes two weeks.
Pedersen was born and raised in the west suburb and was first elected Franklin Park village president in 2009.
Speaking to Pioneer Press by phone from the hospital, Pedersen said he expects to be discharged mid-month, “which would be an exceptionally short period of time.”
As part of his recovery, “I’m walking three or four times a day. I’m doing physical therapy. I’m eating. I’m drinking. I’m working,” Pedersen said.
He explained that he noticed something wrong with his breathing in about 2010.
More Top Picks Best High Lumen Edc Flashlights For Men
“It was after I got done playing basketball or exercising. I’d be sitting in my chair and I could tell that something didn’t feel the same. Then, I used to be able to swim long distances underwater and I wasn’t able to do that anymore,” he said.
According to Pedersen, his lung issues may have been caused by an air purifier he had used to help with sleep but stopped using in around 2013.
“I’d used it for several years every night. It’s one of those where you take (the filter) out in the morning and you wipe it off with a wet cloth because it has an electronic collection of air particles. It collects all the particles in the air so it cleans the air and, at the same time, emits ozone,” he said.
Pedersen recalled meeting with several specialists for what he thought were minor symptoms.
“Around 2018, I finally went to a pulmonologist who diagnosed me with pulmonary fibrosis. So 75% of my right lung was very diseased and 50% on my left,” he said.
On its website, the American Lung Association defines pulmonary fibrosis as “a disease where there is scarring of the lungs – called fibroids – which makes it difficult to breathe. This is because the scarring causes the tissues in the lungs to get thick and stiff and makes it hard to absorb oxygen into the bloodstream.”
Pedersen said he went through approximately 30 tests in 2023 in order to be considered for the lung transplant list. He’s used an oxygen machine for the past six months for activities such as using the treadmill and golfing, and became eligible for surgery in February.
“I got a call in March saying, ‘We’ve got two lungs available. Come over to the hospital,’” he said.
But the mayor tested positive for COVID-19 at that time, so he couldn’t have the operation then.
“Then they called me (June 1) and said, ‘Come on over. We’ve got a lung,” he said.
Nationally recognized medical organizations and clinics indicate that the average wait time for a donor lung is about six months to two years for a single organ, and up to three years for a two-lung donation.
Pedersen explained that only his right lung was replaced in the June 3 surgery.
“Because it’s such a young, healthy lung, that makes up for the one on the left,” he said. “It’s probably better that I got one because the recovery for two (replacements) is much longer. It’s summer and I want to play golf,” he said.
Pedersen was absent from the Village Board meeting Monday but said he began working remotely by Tuesday afternoon , calling village officials about how the meeting went and discussing community development issues such as a railway safety project to build an underpass.
According to Lisa Anthony, the Franklin Park director of human resources and operations, Trustee John Johnson serves as deputy mayor when Pedersen is not in attendance at a board meeting.
Village leaders offered public thanks for well-wishes that have poured in for Pedersen, posting on the village Facebook page.
“His medical team is extremely pleased with his progress and he is making a full and rapid recovery,” the social media post states. “At the Village, we are looking forward to his return.”
Also, fellow mayor Angelo “Skip” Saviano told Pioneer Press his thoughts are with Pedersen.
Saviano is mayor Elmwood Park, a town just to the southeast of Franklin Park.
“He has been my friend for 45 years, as we went to high school together at Holy Cross,” said Saviano. “We have a great relationship as fellow elected Officials. We wish him the best in his recovery.”
Pedersen, who said he hopes to return to working at Village Hall on June 12 or June 13, also complimented his medical team.
“They are doing an extraordinary job. They’re very professional here,” he said. “The doctors and nurses were all impressed with my exceptional recovery.”
Pedersen had promoted being an organ donor — like himself — on his former longtime TV show “Illinois Issues in Review.”
“It’s extraordinarily important. It’s something that is recognized by all the major religions in Illinois. Jesse White, former secretary of state, was a promoter of organ donation. I had him on my cable access program. He said any age can be a donor,” Pedersen said.
More Top Picks Electric Scooter
Even the mayor’s partner, Andrea Newell, says she had been a proponent of organ donation because she used to work for the Secretary of State office.
“Donate if you can. I know it’s a personal decision but it really does help many families. There’s so many people who love Barrett and will have him a little bit longer because of (organ donation),” she said.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer. Pioneer Press staff contributed.