Heather Leverington-Dotterer
Centre County, PA
Double Lung Transplant Gives Recipient the Chance to Be a Mother

After battling her health for a decade and nearly losing hope of becoming a mother, Heather Leverington celebrated her second Mother’s Day this past May.

In 2008, the Centre County native was diagnosed with polymyositis, a rare inflammatory disease that attacks the lungs, and spent eight years on the transplant waiting list before eventually receiving new lungs in fall 2016.

Now, Heather is happy and healthy and enjoys time spent with her husband, Anthony, and son, Asher. This year, Heather competed in the Transplant Games of America, winning five gold medals in ballroom dancing, shot put, discus, pickleball women’s doubles and cricket darts, and one bronze medal in darts.

She acts as a strong advocate for organ and tissue donation, sharing her story and encouraging others to save lives. “It’s so hard to describe because I am so grateful for my donor and her family for saying yes to organ donation,” Heather said. “To give me a second chance at life, a chance to be a mother, something that I thought wasn’t going to happen for me.”

An organ donor’s story goes on and on. So can yours. Register today to change lives tomorrow.