I knew my life had changed forever when I stood at the bottom of my staircase, staring up at 14 steps that suddenly felt like a mountain. My lungs simply couldn’t keep up.

I was 54 and had a lot of living left to do. Waking up after my lung transplant was surreal. I was reborn and had a fresh start. I have a new attitude. I respect my body and my life much more now. 

Everyone should talk to their family about their wishes to become an organ donor because people waiting may not have tomorrow. Getting a second breath means a second chance at life.

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.