Woman receives life-saving double lung transplant, falls in love with donor’s brother

(Gray News/TMX) - A woman in West Virginia who received a double lung transplant says she never imagined that it would lead to her future husband.

The Cleveland Clinic recently shared Jennifer’s story. After meeting her organ donor’s brother, Travis, their relationship blossomed and turned into marriage.

Jennifer was born with a genetic condition called situs inversus, where organs in the chest and abdomen develop in a reversed anatomical position.

Health experts say the condition frequently leads to recurring respiratory infections.

In 2015, Jennifer, a former Ms. West Virginia, said she started noticing her condition worsened and found herself needing oxygen therapy to breathe.

In 2018, she was hospitalized 10 out of 12 months. Her doctor referred her to Cleveland Clinic, where she ultimately received a life-saving double lung transplant.

Jennifer thanked her donor, Jill Ellis, whose family reached out to her after the transplant.

The Ellis family ended up traveling from Wisconsin to West Virginia to meet Jennifer in person.

That’s when she met Travis and the two kept in touch and grew closer.

Travis went on to propose to Jennifer in July 2023, and the two got married in September of this year.

Jennifer says she is motivated to stay strong and live the fullest life she can with her new lungs.

She is also passionate about sharing her story with the hope others will make the decision to become an organ donor.

“Jill saved six lives by becoming an organ donor. That to me makes her a hero, and who wouldn’t want to do that? What better way to have your legacy live on,” Jennifer said.

Copyright 2024 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. TMX contributed to this report.