SAUGUS — A double lung transplant may mean new beginnings for a Saugus man and his family. 

Last week, lifelong resident Dan Barnes was finally placed on the waiting list to receive a new set of lungs. A six-year journey in the making, Barnes was first diagnosed in 2014 with pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that affects the heart and arteries in the lungs. 

Since the day he was diagnosed, Barnes has relied on an oxygen tank to help him keep up with day-to-day tasks, but even still, his family says the condition continues to severely impact his quality of life. 

“He says he’s on a leash now, but he tries to make the best of it,” said Barnes’ oldest daughter, Dani Rogers. “Anything he does, you have to be mindful of. He’s got this long cord at home, and then he does have a portable one, but when he goes out, he only has one hand because he has to carry this little machine with him everywhere.”

Barnes himself is used to being active. Before his diagnosis, the 36-year employee of General Electric enjoyed traveling, grilling, gardening, and spending time with his four adult children and now-17-month-old grandson. 

Although the prospect of a transplant is nerve-wracking for the entire family, Barnes said he looks forward to doing the little things again, like going out to eat without his oxygen tank. 

“You go through quite a process to get on the list,” Barnes said. “I’m excited, but I’m a little scared, too. I’m nervous. I’m just (looking forward to) doing all the things I used to do because I don’t have any energy right now.

He later added: “It’s frustrating not being able to do things. My wife and kids have been doing everything for me, and it’s a lot of burden on them.”

Double-lung transplants can cost more than $1 million, and although the family says insurance will be able to cover much of it, they’ll still need to pay about $40,000 out of pocket. That’s also in addition to expensive follow-up medical care. 

While he remains on the list, Barnes and his family are constantly on high-alert for the life-changing call, which they say they’ve been warned can come at any time. Once notified, the family has a window of two hours to get to Massachusetts General Hospital and prepare for surgery, which can take anywhere from six to 15 hours. 

Making a stressful situation even more difficult, the coronavirus pandemic has prevented the Barnes’ from being able to fundraise for their father.

“The only way we can reach out to people is online, and not everyone is on Facebook,” Rogers said. “We’ve literally been sending letters to small businesses just to put the word out. If we weren’t in the middle of COVID, we’d do more fundraisers and restaurant nights, things like that.” 

However, Rogers acknowledged that the pandemic has brought tough times on nearly everyone. 

“It’d be so much easier if it weren’t such a crazy time. We’re hoping that as restaurants open up more, we’ll be able to do more, but at the same time, they’ve taken such a hit. We don’t know how willing they’ll be to even let us do a fundraising night there, because a lot of them have been out of business and they’re hurting, too.”

She added: “I’ve been unemployed, and my brother has been unemployed. I understand not everyone has the extra money right now, so it’s just a whole added level of stress.”

However, Barnes said he’s grateful for the donations the family’s already received and for the dedication of his children and wife of 37 years. 

“My children have been going over and above,” he said. “It’s a lot to take in. It really is. I’m wicked anxious over the whole thing … but all my kids have been right there (for) anything I’ve needed. It’d be nice not to be a burden. I guess if I can get through this, that’s all I’m hoping for.”

For her part, Rogers, who is pregnant with twins, said she just wants to see her father well so that he can spend time with his grandchildren. 

“I want him to be able to do all the stuff he did with us, with my son,” she said. “And I want him to be around to see (the twins).”

Donations to help the Barnes family reach their $40,000 goal can be made by visiting their page at give.transplants.org.