Father of fallen firefighter makes miraculous recovery after double lung transplant

By Briana Whitney

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    PHOENIX (KPHO) — Back in 2019, Goodyear firefighter Austin Peck passed away from work-related cancer after a long battle. His dad Mark Peck and other family members were training to hike Mount Everest in Austin’s honor. But his dad became severely sick and nearly lost his life too.

After a massive surgery, Mark is exceeding all expectations and blowing doctors’ minds. “It looked like we had the dance floor to ourselves because…this was a miracle,” said Mark’s wife, Marie Peck.

She’s referring to a video she posted this past weekend of her and Mark dancing at a wedding. Mark and Marie have danced through life together for decades – this year is their 40th anniversary.

But this was — in a way — their first dance all over again because Mark looked so much different just ten months ago. “I don’t remember a month. I don’t remember the ride home, the first emergency visit, I really don’t,” said Mark.

“He was on life support for about six weeks,” said Marie.

It all happened after Mark got the second COVID shot. Doctors have now told them he had what’s called a cytokine storm, where his body’s immune response caused other infections. This is very rare.

“Spinal meningitis, encephalitis, pneumonia, rhabdovirus, lactobacillus. It overtook my body,” said Mark.

Mark had been in great health and had been training for ‘Peck’s Trek,’ which was a hike up Mount Everest in honor of his late son Austin to celebrate his life and cancer journey.

While his family continued the trip, Mark was on an ECMO machine fighting his own life battle. His doctor at St. Joe’s found a perfect set of lungs from an 18-year-old in Washington. On the brink of death, Mark Peck would undergo a double lung transplant in April.

“I think Austin just pushed me out of heaven. I think I was right there. Not yet, not your time! You gotta walk my girls down the aisle!” Mark laughed.

The surgery was a major success. Since then, Mark has exceeded all expectations, doing more and more physical activity. He still has to take 54 pills a day, but he said he’ll do anything to be here with his family.

He named his lungs “Tag” in honor of the teen who saved him, a teen he wishes he could have thanked.

“I don’t know the kid. So I named them, and I hug them,” Mark said with tears in his eyes.

He can’t thank his donor, but he knows Austin is for him. And while the saying is to dance like no one’s watching, Mark is happy to have an audience to dance through life with.

“After watching him dance, I think his chore list is going to get bigger!” laughed Marie. “See! She pushes me!” Mark laughed back.

The Peck’s will get to meet their donor’s family in a couple of months, which they’re looking forward to. To make this story even sweeter, Mark was so touched by the doctors who saved his life at St Joe’s that he’s going to match donations up to $50,000 to support the lung transplant program at the hospital.

They’re about halfway there and if you’d like to donate to the cause you can donate here: supportstjosephs.org/markpeck

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