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After seven months away from paradise, sportscaster Bobby Curran was ready to inhale.
“You can smell the flowers here,” said Curran, who returned to Honolulu a week ago for the first time since undergoing a double-lung transplant and ensuing rehabilitation in Phoenix. “There’s moisture in the air, where there’s none of that in Phoenix. It’s great to be home.”
Curran fulfilled a promise to attend his younger son Finn’s graduation ceremony at Mid-Pacific Institute this past Saturday.
“It was a great program,” Curran said. “I was happy to be there.”
It has been a challenging year for Curran. Last June, Curran, who quit a smoking habit several years earlier, was told he needed a double-lung transplant to treat an aggressive stage of emphysema. In October, he underwent screening at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. He was told without a transplant, his life expectancy probably would not exceed Christmas. A 30-member committee decided Curran met the criteria for a transplant, but he had to remain in Phoenix until a donor was found.
Curran, who eventually was a match for donated lungs, underwent the life-saving transplant on Nov. 17.
He spent nearly a month at St. Joseph’s before moving to a house he rented a few miles from the hospital’s rehabilitation center. Curran was told he would need to remain in Phoenix for at least a year for treatments and tests. Curran was told in up to 18 months after surgery, there are risks of infection and rejection.
He has adhered to specific food restrictions. He wears a mask except when eating or posing for pictures. In the first few months of rehabilitation, friends from New York provided 24-hour care. His wife, Jo, who is vice president of a commercial real estate company, and sons also have been able to spend time in Phoenix.
There have been setbacks. Curran has incurred infections. He also fell face first onto a pavement. “I was out,” he said of the fall. “I could sort of feel my head bounce, and then I kind of came to. There was so much blood.”
Curran, who was selected to the UH Circle of Honor, had hoped to attend last month’s gala celebrating the induction of this year’s class. Doctors advised against that plan. But Curran refused to abandon his goal of attending Finn’s graduation.
Curran joined a fitness center in Phoenix. “It’s the cleanest gym I’ve ever seen,” Curran said. “You could eat food off the floor at this place.”
He also worked on leg-strengthening exercises during physical therapy sessions.
“We structured my PT toward being able to travel to get home,” Curran said.
A month ago, he booked a flight to Honolulu. Jo and then Max traveled to Phoenix to clean the house and pack belongings.
The journey home was not easy. Curran said he struggles with his balance, especially when walking down an airplane’s aisle. He experienced chest soreness lifting his carry-on bag into the overhead storage. But Curran said it was worth it.
“I really wanted to see my son graduate,” Curran said.
Curran said his recovery program requires two days of testing and monitoring every three or four months in Phoenix. He said he probably will return to Phoenix in late June.
When he returns, his hope is to resume as host of his morning show on KKEA (1420-AM). He said he also would like to announce UH basketball games.
For now, Curran is enjoying time with his family.
After seven months on the mainland, he appreciates the home stretch.
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