April 30, 2015

The Gift of Breath

Meet John. Seven years ago, John had double lung reduction surgery. Diseased tissue was cut out of both of his lungs, reducing the size and capacity of his lungs, in hopes of saving his life. The surgeries were his only option at overcoming the emphysema that was destructively taking his breath away.

Following his surgeries, John spent time at RML to wean from the ventilator and learn to breathe on his own again. John is a survivor: he fought through the anxiety of learning to breathe again without the help of a machine, determined to get home to be with his daughter and dog.

Today John walks 2.5 miles a day, takes care of two active dogs, and is an important part of his daughter’s life. John is an inspiration to all who fight lung disease.

For the past two years, John has given back and shared his story to inspire others. He walked with RML at Healthy Parks, Healthy Patients 5K. He also joined us at our annual Golf & Tennis Tournament to thank donors and staff for the difference they made in his life.