Diagnosed with COPD in 2009, Donna was told her only chance of survival was a lung transplant. Like all Saskatchewan patients, she had to travel to Edmonton and stay there for months with a caregiver, adding immense stress to an already difficult journey.

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.

There’s no question that research is our greatest defence against lung disease, as well as our greatest tool to save lives.

Receiving a TB diagnosis was frightening, since, like many people, I wasn’t aware that TB was still a concern. I was upset and scared about what this meant for my health and my future.

Two days after Christmas in 2023, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. It was a devastating blow, especially since I’ve always led an active, healthy life. I hiked, biked, and didn’t smoke.

For patients with severe lung disease, a lung transplant may be their last hope for survival.  Making a life-and-death medical decision should not depend on financial circumstances.

To start this story, we need to travel back to Saskatoon, SK, in 1980 when I was five years old and had chronic asthma.