In July 2014, Nicole received her life saving call.  She describes receiving an organ donation as “a very humbling and expensive process. The very, first thing I wanted to do was take the biggest breath I could. Then I  wanted to feel what it was like to move and not be short of breath. I was able to walk upstairs! That was pretty exciting.”

Nicole has always been a positive person with a willingness to help others. She has been an advocate for lung health but has become even more involved since receiving her transplant.  Nicole says, “Getting my second breath means everything to me. I went from not having a future to being able to plan things again. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about my donor - the stranger who gave me my breath back.”

To read more about Nicole's story click here

This past summer, Moe and his wife Brenda celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary, an anniversary he wasn’t sure he would make it to. The transplant, he says, “allowed me to have a life – which I appreciate every day.” Brenda, Moe’s wife, was his main caretaker throughout his lung transplant journey. Brenda describes that even though she was always on guard while Moe was going through post-transplant recovery period, it was amazing to see the daily progress and Moe’s mental determination to regain his strength and get back some of the life he had lost.

Moe says that getting his second breath back means he now has a future where he can give back and get back to doing the volunteer work he so much enjoys. He is forever grateful to his donor, he honours his donor by raising awareness of the importance of organ donation and hopes to inform strategies that will inspire everyone to get involved in the movement for healthy lungs.

To read more about Moe and Brenda’s Story click here

In July of 2016, her breathing deteriorated significantly. She was put on supplemental oxygen and was listed for a lung transplant.  “It was really hard to have a little one and be so sick. Eventually my husband Cam had to quit work to stay home to care for not just my son but for me as well.  He cooked, cleaned, took care of the yard, made sure our bills were paid, and even had to help me wash my hair. It was really hard to ask people to help me do everything.  I have always been so independent,” says Jennalee. Despite his young age, Jennalee’s son Luka understood that his mom was very sick.  He began asking Santa Clause to bring his mom new lungs.

On Oct. 10, 2017, Luka’s wish had come true.  Jennalee was flown to Edmonton where she received a new pair of lungs. Usually lung transplant patients are required to stay in Edmonton for a minimum of three months.  However, Jennalee surprised her son and made it home early on December 22 just in time for Christmas.

Jennalee will always have CF, but she can breathe again. “I am able to keep up with Luka and enjoy time with family and friends,” she says with a smile.

Today Jennalee looks at her life as a gift. She is a Breathe Ambassador for The Lung Association, Saskatchewan.  In her role she tells others who are left breathless from lung disease to “never give up and always fight for what you want in life.” As a patient volunteer Jennalee wants to help make things better for others with lung disease.  She also hopes her story will increase awareness about the importance and impact of organ donation and cystic fibrosis.

She encouraged everyone to talk to their family about their wishes to become an organ donor. She said, “People should talk about it today because people waiting may not have tomorrow.”

Charlotte go her life-saving call on Mother’s Day, 2017. “I just couldn’t believe it when the phone rang!  I sat down and screamed.  My wishes were coming true.”  Later that day, Charlotte flew to Edmonton to have her transplant, and just a few hours later she had two new lungs.

To Charlotte, getting a second breath means a second chance at life, the opportunity to pursue her goals, time to experience her dreams, and live again one easy breath at a time. Having gone through this journey she has turned her challenges into something positive by advocating for higher organ donation rates in the province, and working with The Lung Association to fund patient support services. She feels she has become a more understanding and compassionate person and that “it’s her responsibility to be the best she can, and get the most out of her organs – both the new and old ones.”

To read more about Charlotte’s Story click here 

This is a disease that eventually becomes fatal. Kevyn loves being active and playing sports.  He’s always had a passion for sports, especially hockey. Eventually he had to give up this passion completely as even simple day to day task proved to be more than he was able to bear.

In 2013, a viral infection threatened his life.  Doctors in Saskatchewan quickly transferred Kevyn to Edmonton to see if he would qualify for a lung transplant.  Kevyn received his ‘call for new lungs’, just 13 days after being put on the lung transplant waitlist. Born sick and in need of a lung transplant in his twenties, Kevyn not only had to fight for his life, but find a way to pay for it.  He along with friends and family fundraised thousands of dollars so he could afford accommodations near the transplant center in Edmonton, travel expenses, hospital parking and medical equipment. Yet when he tells his story despite all of his hardships and struggles, he thinks of himself as “lucky.”

After his transplant, Kevyn’s mom joked that he could now run a marathon with her. Kevyn doesn’t plan to tackle a marathon, but while in Edmonton he and his mom heard about a run that raises funds and public awareness for organ donation. Kevyn’s mom spearheaded the first event of its kind in Saskatchewan hosting the event in their hometown in Moose Jaw.

This past May marked the 3rd run he and his family organized and Kevyn knew this one would be special. When Kevyn crossed the finish line, he got down on one knee and asked his girlfriend to marry him … and she said YES! The meaning behind what a second breath means to someone may be hard to put into words, but for Kevyn it meant “everything!”

To read more about Kevyn’s story click here

Be sure to read our next Second Breath edition newsletter where you can learn more about Darcy Murdoch, Darlene MickleBorough, Don Gill, Karen Webb and Donna McDonald. 

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