Masha Benitez, 17, who awaits life-saving double lung transplant, finally gets on list for the procedure

Masha Benitez, the 17-year-old Long Beach girl awaiting a life-saving double lung transplant, has finally been placed on a waiting list for the procedure at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. But these days of the coronavirus are perilous for her.

Her parents, Michelle Quigley and Luis "Tony" Benitez, said their daughter was placed on the list on March 12. But now the wait for a pair of lungs begins, and hospital officials say they are unable to tell when that will happen. She may also need heart surgery

Because Masha is so tiny - she is 4-foot-9 and weighs 80 pounds - the lungs she needs must be compatible with her size and blood type.

In the coronavirus pandemic, Masha has been spending her time at home, like all other children at Long Beach's public schools. But her parents and her brother, 16-year-old Giancarlo, must take extraordinary precautions to see Masha does not become ill with Covid-19.

In October, Masha developed a cold that went quickly to her already weakened lungs. Her doctor sent her immediately to Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, where she spent a week before fully recovering and going home.

Many of Masha's doctor appointments these days are conducted through telemedicine. Her brother and her father make sure to change their clothes before they come back into the house after a trip outside.

"The big thing is to keep the virus from getting into the house," Michelle Quigley said. Many days, no one leaves the house. About once every week and a half, someone goes grocery shopping and quickly disinfects. Masks are essential. Quigley says she spends hours on the phone ordering some kinds of deliveries.

Masha suffers from pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD), a rare form of pulmonary hypertension caused by progressive blockage of the small veins in the lung. Her prognosis is not the best. She was born in Russia to a mother who immediately gave her up for adoption. She was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and a host of other medical problems, which worsened over the years.

But Masha is a lively girl with flowing blonde hair and triple her weight in spunk. She was adopted after her parents saw her at Cohen Children's, where she was being treated for a lung disorder. The battle to adopt her took over two years. The Putin administration in Russia opposed adoption by American parents.

In Long Beach these days, she spends time drawing and playing with her corgi, Lulu. In pre-coronavirus days, she volunteered every Sunday to help train dogs at Kennedy Plaza, outside City Hall. It is something she can't wait to do again.

Masha doubts she will return to Long Beach High School the year, not because she can't physically but because she doubts classes will be held again until September.

Asked how she was feeling the other day, Masha said, "I had a pretty good day."