April is Donate Life Month. You probably know that organ donation saves lives. But do you know what it feels like to recover from organ donation? Or what it's like to live after a double lung transplant? Here, we share 3 stories. In their own words, donors and a recipient offer a glimpse of how organ donation transformed their lives.
Antonia Hernandez, Northern Virginia Double Lung Transplant Recipient
My transplant journey started in the spring of 2022, after my diagnosis with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The workup proved to take a toll on me mentally, so I put that on pause until my condition got much worse. By September 2024, I was back in the hospital with doctors telling me it’s now or never. Terrified but stubborn to hold onto life, I said OK.
I’m lucky enough to have my specialty care doctors here at UVA Health. My rheumatologist, Dr. Carlson, noticed my illness after doctors elsewhere couldn’t figure out what was wrong. He referred me to my pulmonologist, Dr. Mihalek, who has cared for me since 2022. He’s the one who helped me come to terms with my desperate need for a lung transplant.
I got on the list. Three days later I got my second chance. After 40 days in the hospital, I walked out just astonished that I even made it this far. I cried in the car ride home.
Care & Gentleness
I think what surprised me the most was the care and attentiveness from the nurses and doctors. They really catered to my every need. They were gentle. They held my hand while I had a panic attack. They were patient with me while I typed out things on my phone to communicate when I couldn’t speak. They even let me change rooms because I didn’t like the view out the window! 10/10; would recommend.
What It Feels Like After a Transplant
You might not feel like you’re in your own body at first. I didn’t. My entire chest felt like cardboard for like a month! You may have to relearn how to be a human again. How to use the bathroom again. For some (like myself) how to eat again! It will take time. But all that work was so worth it to have functioning lungs again.
The Hardest Thing, But Worth It
Getting a double lung transplant was the absolute hardest thing I had to do. Would I do it again? I sure hope I don’t have to — but if it came down to it, knowing what I know now, it wouldn’t take me so long to say yes. Now I get to see my niece grow up. I get to be a bridesmaid in my little sister’s wedding. I get to keep celebrating birthdays. Heck, I went on a hike for the first time in years!! It’s much more exciting up here than lying in the dirt.
Allen Campbell, Southwest Virginia Liver Donor
Choosing to be a living liver donor is empowering in so many ways. Being part of the living donor program meant being able to help create a better quality of life for someone else. It was a life-changing experience.
My someone else was my sister, Jenny. Doing this meant that she would get more time to spend with her children. And, now that we are nearly a year post-operation, her first grand baby.
Passionate Providers
My sister was already working with UVA Health, and we were fortunate that we live close by. After researching myself, I felt really encouraged because UVA Health is one of the top transplant programs in the country. Everyone who is part of that program is so passionate about what they do. You can’t help but get excited about it.
Recovery & Change
I was surprised at how soon I could start going back to my normal life. The first couple days after surgery were probably the toughest, but after I got home, things gradually got easier. The other thing that changed for me is realizing how much of a need there is to advocate for living donors and create more awareness that this is possible.
What to Do After Donating an Organ
Right after surgery, I think if you can get up and walk, do it. It’s gonna hurt, but it helps your body wake up. It was the one thing I didn’t anticipate, but it is probably one of the best things you can do post-surgery.
Team IronLiver
Keep the glass half full and try to see the positive in all things. Jenny has travelled with me to most of my Ironman races. A couple years ago she started getting Team Campbell shirts printed whenever we went to a new race.
So we started wearing our Team Campbell shirts to all of our appointments in a show of solidarity for each other. Team Campbell evolved and became Team IronLiver. We had special Team IronLiver shirts made for our friends and family to wear the day of surgery.
When we started this journey, I told her we would finish this one together. And we did.
Susan Adams, Northern Virginia Kidney Donor
My journey began in November 2000, when my 12-year-old daughter, Kimberly, became a deceased donor. Her organ donations were a light in the midst of our terrible, dark tragedy. The experience with the donation team was immensely supportive. We had the opportunity to meet many organ recipients who expressed deep appreciation for the gifted organs. We even met her liver recipient. These experiences planted the seed regarding donating my kidney.
Retirement Goal: Donate a Kidney
Once I retired, I was ready to move forward with my kidney donation. It had become one of my top retirement goals.
The medical screening and assessment to determine if I was a good candidate took longer than I expected. Some of that was due to my personal schedule and travel.
I developed full confidence that I was safe in the hands of the transplant team. I planned to donate my kidney without knowing the person who would receive it. I was passionate in my desire to donate my kidney. I knew, beyond a question of a doubt, that the team would allow me to donate only if I passed the medical and psychological assessment with flying colors.
Trusting the Transplant Team
The donor transplant team was phenomenal! From the time I first sent an inquiry email to this very day 9 months after the donation, the team has provided top quality care, concern, and compassion.
The education about the process was meticulous, easy to understand, and shared with kindness. My calls, texts, and emails were responded to quickly, even on the weekends. I was not just another kidney. I was a person who they respected and appreciated. I expressed all of my thoughts, fears, and questions, never feeling like these were dumb to talk about. I have many stories about the little kindnesses that made the donation experience superior.
Thinking About Donating an Organ?
See what it takes to save a life.
When it came time to be wheeled into the operating room, I was asked if I needed anything to help me be calm. I thought about this for a moment and said, "I am calm." I could feel that way only because of the phenomenal quality care and compassion I had experienced.
The Role of Healing & Rest
The recovery involved pain from the bloating for about 1 week, about which I had been educated. Once that was over, I felt surprisingly good. There was never any pain around the incisions. I felt ready to get out and get going. But my body wasn't ready. By my standards, I was taking it easy. But it was too much, and I was hit by fatigue. I like to be active. Family members had to keep after me to chill.
Like Daughter, Like Mother: Making a Difference
Kimberly wrote in her school assignment notebooks her goals just days before she died, "Learn more, be nice to everybody, and make more friends." She continues to make a difference in people's lives!
