‘An annual donor commemoration and celebrating that I am alive’

Due to the rare lung disease Cystic Fibrosis (CF), the lungs of Kim Clement (33) were deteriorating further and further. At 24, she became eligible for a lung transplant. ‘CF doesn't go away, but my lungs work!’

Actually, CF has always limited me, but even more so as I got older and my health declined. For instance, I could barely exercise and studying was also difficult. Stubborn as I was, I refused to use the wheelchair that I sometimes really needed. At one point, I started having lung hemorrhages, where I coughed up and vomited blood. When it also turned out that my oxygen levels were severely disrupted, I was put on the waiting list for a lung transplant.'

High Urgency International

'After almost three years on that list, I was given the status HUI – High Urgency International. It was 2011 by then, I was 24. When I had been in the hospital for a few months, the news came that lungs were most likely available. What went through me then was indescribable; I felt hot and cold and was nauseous, scared, and happy all at the same time. But hope prevailed.'

The relief

'As always, I received a lot of support from my family and friends. A few family members were there when I woke up after the transplant. And then the relief: I could breathe without shortness of breath. My new lungs worked! In those first months, I took plenty of photos of the good oxygen saturation readings. The fact that I now had enough oxygen made my life very different. For example, I loved being able to cycle with my little nephew in the front seat.'

Commemorating the donor

'But then came corona. Disastrous for lung patients, of course. I went into home isolation because, due to my limited resistance, I felt vulnerable. I also developed signs of rejection. Fortunately, I recovered with a high dose of prednisone. I also celebrated my transplant anniversary during this corona crisis. An annual day with a donor commemoration, in which I remember my donor with respect and gratitude. The day after is the party – albeit on a small scale now. But always with a group of dear people who have always supported me.’