For patients with severe lung disease, a lung transplant may be their last hope for survival. But receiving that second chance at life is not simple. Patients endure months or years of testing, waiting, and uncertainty. Many must relocate far from home for surgery and recovery, often for weeks or even months. Some face financial barriers that lead them to delay or even turn down a transplant. No one should have to make that choice.
That is why Lung Saskatchewan is partnering with Alberta Lung to create Breathing Space in Edmonton, a welcoming home away from home where transplant patients and their families can stay while receiving care.
Darcy Murdoch knows firsthand how complex and demanding the road to a lung transplant can be. He has been singing most of his life, starting in church and later performing in school operettas, where his principal handpicked him for the lead role. Over time, singing grew from something he loved into a full-time career. But in 2011, everything changed.
The Gift of New Lungs
One day I carried my laundry down to the laundry room in my building. When I came back upstairs, I was bent over at my apartment door trying to catch my breath. It was only one flight of stairs. I remember thinking, What’s going on here? My doctor sent me for an X-ray. Not long after that, I heard something I never expected. I had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that scars the lungs. And I was told I would need a double lung transplant.
I was shocked, angry, depressed and afraid. I was 54 years old and I felt like I still had a lot of living left to do. Soon after the diagnosis, I had to start using oxygen. At first, I resisted it. I was ashamed to walk down the street with the nose tubes. I felt like everyone was looking at me. Wearing oxygen meant admitting something was wrong.
The Lung Transplant Process
The process was long and difficult. It felt like I was being tested for absolutely everything. I met with social workers, psychologists and a whole team of doctors to make sure I could survive an eight-hour surgery and the recovery afterward. Meanwhile, my life was changing in ways I never expected. My singing career was my livelihood. My gigs paid the bills. But as my lungs got worse, I had trouble holding notes and finishing songs. At one point, I made the difficult decision to take my name off the transplant list for three months. I needed to keep working long enough to save money so I could afford to stop working during surgery and recovery. Even while my lungs were failing, I tried to stay strong. I exercised as much as I could and focused on getting my body ready for the transplant. Eventually, I put my name back on the transplant list. Six weeks later, I got the call that changed my life forever. While I was waiting for a transplant, I carried a pager everywhere so the transplant team could reach me. But one night I forgot to put it beside my bed. The next morning someone knocked on my door. When I opened it, my building manager was standing there holding out a phone. “It’s the transplant team,” he said. “Do you want to talk to them?”
They told me they had a pair of lungs for me! I was literally waking up to a future. When I was being prepared for surgery, the operating room nurse played Frank Sinatra’s song Come Fly With Me. For some reason, I had a good feeling. Hours later, I woke up in the ICU. When they removed the breathing tube, it felt like taking the biggest breath of fresh air I had ever experienced. Someone asked me, “How does it feel to breathe with your new lungs, Darcy?” I said, “Amazing. I can’t believe I’m here.” It truly felt like a dream come true.
Your donation supports the creation of Breathing Space, ensuring lung transplant patients have a safe and supportive place to recover.
Singing Again
A couple of months later, I tried singing again for the first time. I was nervous. Even though I could breathe easily, I wondered if I could still carry a tune. So I set up my sound system and started singing. The moment I sang that first note, I knew everything was going to be okay. Before the transplant, I could barely hold long notes. I’d have to stop and take oxygen breaks about every half hour. But now, I could sing freely again. After my transplant, I made a personal vow. I promised myself that I would help others going through what I experienced. Now I speak about lung health and organ donation whenever I can. I support people who are waiting for transplants or recovering from them. If sharing my story gives someone hope, then it’s worth it.
Thank you for supporting lung health in Saskatchewan.
Darcy Murdoch
Your Gift Creates a Home Away From Home
Although a lung transplant can offer hope, the journey to receive one is complex. In Canada, only four centres perform lung transplants: Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. For residents of Saskatchewan, that means travelling to Edmonton. Patients and their families often must leave home for weeks or even months, facing not only emotional stress but also significant financial burdens for travel, rent, and meals. That’s why Lung Saskatchewan is helping create Breathing Space, a haven designed to provide comfort, stability, and specialized care for patients and their families during this challenging journey.
Construction of Breathing Space is expected to begin in 2026, but a temporary pilot is already running, offering a “home away from home” for lung transplant patients and their caregivers. With your support, no one in Saskatchewan will have to delay or turn down a life-saving transplant because of financial barriers.
Every donation helps give hope, comfort, and a second chance at life.