“There’s no stopping me now.”

 These days, Diane Anderson, a double-lung transplant recipient, is on the move. After her transplant at Temple University Hospital, Diane is on the move. She enjoys traveling and no longer has to carry around oxygen tanks, which she did for more than six and a half years.

What started as asthma intensified into COPD, eventually requiring Diane to rely on oxygen. She spent many sleepless nights praying for a transplant. “I prayed and hoped my chance to receive a transplant would come and it did!” Diane underwent her transplant with gratitude and enthusiasm, saying, “The transplant journey was an experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world, it was all so worth it.”

In addition to her blessing of receiving a new pair of lungs, Diane was overjoyed to learn that she would have her first granddaughter in the year after her transplant. “I now have a second chance at life, and I’m able to watch her grow!” Diane says. “I thank God for my donor and donor’s family and also The Gift of Life for helping me.”

August is National Minority Donor Awareness Month, a time for special focus on the serious health needs of many of our neighbors. This year, Diane and her family joined over 10,000 others in Philadelphia for the 2023 Gift of Life Donor Dash in hopes of spreading the word about the power of organ donation. “Please sign up to be an organ donor and give the gift of life back to someone if you can!” Diane says.

“From feeling bad every day to feeling wonderful, everyday is a beautiful feeling.”