Breathing easier: Lung transplants give new life to those living with serious lung disease

October 09, 2025 at 01:01 AM EDT

(BPT) - Oct. 9, 2025, marks the first-ever Lung Transplant Awareness Day. This initiative is dedicated to uniting the lung disease patient community, raising awareness of this lifesaving medical procedure and offering support and resources to patients on their journey to better health.

For the tens of millions of Americans living with lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, COPD, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension, even simple tasks can be a struggle.

"Daily things like taking a shower, walking up the steps and walking to the mailbox were all hard," said Marion Marin, a Pennsylvania restaurant owner and mother of two who was diagnosed with systemic scleroderma. "I stopped washing my face because you have to hold your breath to splash water on your face, and that was a scary thing to do."

For people like Marin who are living with severe lung disease, a lung transplant is often the last treatment option available, and can make the difference between surviving and truly living.

Marin wearing a sundress in front of a floral shop.

Lung transplants transform lives

Even though the first human lung transplant was performed in 1963, many people aren't aware it's a treatment option. Lung transplants have the potential to improve the quality of life for those living with severe lung disease as well as extend life.

During a lung transplant surgery, a diseased lung is replaced with a healthy lung from a donor. According to the Lung Transplant Foundation, lung transplants can be done on people of almost all ages, from newborns to adults up to age 65 and sometimes even later.

The thought of having one or both lungs replaced may sound overwhelming, but it's improved the lives of thousands of people living with severe lung disease. According to the American Journal of Transplants, 3,049 lung transplants were performed in 2024 in the U.S. The survival rate following a lung transplant is 72% after three years.

"Many of the people I've talked to wait until they're too sick to have a transplant," said Marin. "You have to be sick enough and well enough. I got a new lung to live life. After my transplant, I went from struggling to walk to my mailbox to traveling to the Mediterranean this summer."

A second chance

Lung Transplant Awareness Day is more than just a day on the calendar. For the 922 people of all ages waiting for a lung transplant and their loved ones, this day represents hope for more time and more life.

"Now I can do everything I could have done before, like singing in the car," said Marin. "I remember the first time I did I had tears in my eyes. My husband asked, 'What's wrong now?' and I said, 'I just realized that's the first time I sang a song in two years.' Those little things mean so much."

Marin wearing cream color dress and green sweater.

If you or a loved one are living with a lung disease, talk to your doctor or pulmonologist to see if you may be a candidate for a lung transplant. To learn more, visit LungTransplantAwarenessDay.org.

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Breathing easier: Lung transplants give new life to those living with serious lung disease

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