Recipient

In 2015, I was diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease, an autoimmune condition that slowly destroyed my lungs. Doctors gave me five years to live. The news was surreal – life as I knew it began to slip away. 

Breathing became harder each day until I was dependent on oxygen 24/7 and a scooter. Simple tasks became overwhelming, but my will to live grew stronger.

What kept me going were my children, then just 12 and 16. I wanted to be there for their milestones – the graduations, the weddings, the everyday moments. That desire gave me purpose, even when my body was failing.

On August 10, 2020, nearly five years after my diagnosis, I received a double lung transplant. That day marked a new beginning – one born of struggle, faith, and the strength I didn’t know I had.

Life after transplant is not without challenges. I live on a strict medical regimen and carry the emotional weight of knowing my second chance came from someone else’s unimaginable loss. 

I think of my donor and their family every day. I pray for them. I hope to meet them one day, simply to say thank you – for the lungs, yes, but more so for the love and courage behind their gift.

Organ donation is a deeply personal choice, but I hope my journey helps others see its power. I am living proof that one selfless act can change everything. It gave me more mornings, more memories, more life.

If you’ve ever considered becoming a donor, I encourage you to say yes. You could be someone’s miracle.

- Simone Ambrose-Whitehead (Recipient)