I Survived a Terminal Illness Twice. AMA

I (18F) had the same terminal illness twice and survived both times. Let me explain.

I developed a complication called Graft-versus-hosts-disease in my lungs from a bone marrow transplant. It reached end stage which is also called Bronchiolitis Obliterans. This is a progressive, terminal lung condition that happens after bone marrow (extremely rare) or lung transplants.

Because my Bronchiolitis Obliterans reached end stage, I had no other option but to receive a double lung transplant when I was 14. After that, I did well for one and half years and was getting back into a better life.

However, I developed organ rejection of my new lungs which unfortunately is inevitable (lungs have the highest chance of rejection). I had the same condition I had pre-transplant (Bronchiolitis Obliterans). I began to deteriorate very quickly and basically became terminal AGAIN. Nobody thought I would be able to receive a second transplant due to my complex medical history and disease severity.

I was dying.

I was denied by over 10 different transplant centers, but by a miracle, and after being in the ICU for 5 months, I received my second set of lungs in March of this year! So now I became a cancer survivor, and 3x transplant recipient!

Now I am home and doing fairly well. I am so grateful for a new chance at life once again :)