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.

After watching your dad and sister pass from the same disease you are diagnosed with, you come to accept that it is part of your life and learn to stay positive.  For four years, I had to carry a backpack with oxygen everywhere I went and got used to people staring and looking at me differently.

Receiving a lung transplant was a difficult journey physically, emotionally, and financially but I would do it over again. I’m back to doing the things I love most and making the most out of every moment.

Having a lung transplant has changed me. I find myself looking on the bright side more often and I am also more accepting of others. It’s important for us to arm ourselves with as much knowledge as we can.