Sarah Murray - Double Lung Transplant
Sara Murray, 27, has suffered all her life from cystic fibrosis (CF). An inherited disease, CF causes mucus to clog the lungs and obstruct digestion, leading to deadly infections.
As a child, daily treatments and drugs were as normal to Sara as brushing her teeth. Her parents instilled in her a fierce determination that shone when she caught a virus at nine and stared at death for the first time. Sapped of energy, she couldn’t eat or breathe. Her weight plummeted. But for a feeding tube and her raw courage, Sara would have died.
Over time, CF destroyed her quality of life. She fought back at her gym but by the age of 25, with chronic cough and fatigue, Sara couldn’t cross a room without gasping. She was dying a slow death – her only hope was a new set of lungs.
On September 21, 2003 Sara underwent a 10-hour, double-lung transplant at Toronto General Hospital, home of the world’s first such procedure on a CF patient. Sara left hospital 16 days later – an amazing testament to her previous fitness routine. “I’ve never, ever felt this good,” says Sara. “I’m so very grateful for my life. Now, instead of watching it slip away, I can follow my dreams.”
University Health Network’s Multi Organ Transplant Program is Canada’s first and largest transplant program. Now 15 years old, the program has achieved many national and world firsts in transplant care, including the recently celebrated 20-year anniversary of the world’s first successful single-lung transplant.
Over the years, our pre-eminent researchers, surgeons, physicians and healthcare professionals have made great advances in transplantation research, education, and treatment, giving hope to patients and enabling them to live longer, healthier lives.
