Russ, Transplant Recipient

I am truly humbled and honored for the kindness of this gift...

My story begins in the early 1990s. I became ill while on deployment in the gulf and was flown back to the states for evaluation. I was treated with medication for COPD and, over the course of several decades, my condition became resistant to most forms of antibiotics until 2012, when I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis. It was evident at that time that my only recourse left was a transplant, but I wasn’t sure when that would be. In May of 2017, I received a transplant, and it’s been such a blessing. This has given me a chance to make up for a lot of opportunities that I missed with my children that I can now do with my grandchildren.

This whole journey that I’ve been on has opened my mind and heart to being a donor. Knowing that someone has given me the chance to fulfill my life makes me want to give of myself to someone who can fulfill their life. I am truly humbled and honored for the kindness of this gift I’ve been given by the donor’s family and it is my hope that I can honor my donor by paying it forward somehow.