A double lung transplant not only led a West Virginia woman to a healthy life, but also to the love of her life.
Jennifer Ellis, who was crowned Ms. West Virginia America in 2015, was born with situs inversus, a rare genetic condition in which the organs in the chest and abdomen are inverted in the body.
After a successful surgery in 2019, he stayed in touch with the donor’s family and decided to reunite with them. The visit included an introduction to Travis, who would eventually become her future husband.
Jennifer was told she desperately needed a lung transplant when her health began to rapidly deteriorate.
After a successful double lung transplant in 2019, West Virginia resident Jennifer Ellis crossed paths with her donor’s brother, Travis, who would eventually become her future husband.
It became clear that Jennifer desperately needed a lung transplant after her health began to deteriorate, and she joined the waiting list in 2018 after spending ten months a year in hospital.
Her situation worsened over time, initially noticing that she couldn’t catch her breath while exercising while preparing for her 2015 Ms. America pageant.
In just a few years, she needed to be connected to oxygen 24 hours a day to get air into her lungs.
After spending 10 months in the hospital, he was assigned a place on the transplant waiting list in 2018.
‘He was very active before, but that had to stop because it got to the point where he was constantly hooked up to machines. I couldn’t really go anywhere except to the doctors,” he explained to Cleveland Clinic.
But a few months after being on the waiting list, the phone call of hope came.
“When I found out, I immediately fell to the ground and started crying,” Jennifer added.
“It’s definitely bittersweet because I know a beautiful young woman had to pass away so I could get my lungs back. “I don’t know if I’ll ever know who you are, but thank you,” Jennifer said in a short video, shared by ABC News.
After receiving her new lungs, she experienced transplant rejection and worked with her care team to strengthen her lungs through breathing exercises and medications.
Despite living more than 700 miles apart, the couple had an instant connection. They stayed in close contact when apart and eventually began taking turns traveling and seeing each other.
After receiving her new lungs, her body initially had a hard time adjusting, so she worked with her care team to strengthen her lungs through breathing exercises and medications.
But her second chance at life would never have been possible without her donor, Jill, whose family traveled from Wisconsin to West Virginia to meet Jennifer in person after talking for some time.
During that visit, she not only met her lung donor’s family, but also Travis Ellis, who would eventually become her forever person.
“When I first met Travis, I thought he was really cute,” Jennifer added. But I never thought that in a thousand years it would become something. It wasn’t even an option in my head because of the distance.’
Despite living more than 700 miles apart, the couple had an instant connection. They stayed in close contact when apart and eventually began taking turns traveling and seeing each other.
“Whenever she was in the hospital, I would check on her so she wouldn’t feel alone,” Travis told the Cleveland Clinic. “It all happened very naturally.”
They began to develop a closer relationship as the months passed, leading to Travis moving to West Virginia so he could be closer to Jennifer and she could stay close to the clinic.
In July of last year, Travis popped the question. They got married in September of this year.
“I’m grateful that my daughter loved people and was willing to help anyone even in death,” Randy Ellis, Jill’s father, told the Cleveland Clinic.
Her second chance at life would never have been possible without her donor, Jill, whose family traveled from Wisconsin to West Virginia to meet Jennifer in person after communicating for some time.
‘We lost a daughter, but Jenny got her life back. Becoming an organ donor gives another person the chance to live. It changes people’s lives.’
Jill’s family was able to find comfort in the passing of their loved ones knowing that their daughter’s legacy lives on not only through Jennifer, but also through the five additional lives she saved thanks to her organs.
“Not only does she breathe with Jill’s lungs, but she is also my daughter-in-law,” added Teresa Karl, Jill’s mother.
Despite living with decreased lung function, she is 100 percent healthier and happier than before: she enjoys life and can enjoy time with family and friends without being hooked to oxygen.
Jennifer said Jill’s gift changed her life, ABC News added.
Their trip also became an unexpected love story.
“Becoming an organ donor saves lives,” he added. “It allows others to create memories they would not have if it were not for organ donation.”
“Without my donor, I would never have met the love of my life.”