A family loses a son, but his generosity leads to a new life for others

Madison Patch | Pem McNerney

"It was his choice to pass on organs to people who needed them. His death saved 10 people, including me."

By Deirdre Barry

I can’t remember much about Christmas 2001, but it is definitely one I will never forget.

I received the gift of a lifetime, but it wasn’t from Santa. I received a double lung transplant. I was 19 years old.

I was born with cystic fibrosis and led a semi-normal life growing up. At 14 years old, I started getting very sick. I was going in the hospital more often, and I was unable to fight off infections. Originally, I needed oxygen, only when I slept, but as I continued to decline I needed it all day long. I was also not gaining weight and was deemed malnourished (“failure to thrive”). I weighed only 75 pounds. I tried my hardest to get better, but nothing seemed to work. My doctors then told me I would need a double lung transplant. This was something very new to me and my family. We didn’t know much about it, or what would happen down the line. I was put on the transplant list at 15 years old and was very scared.
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