The Gift of Breath: Jane O'Brien's Story of Resilience, Gratitude, and Organ Donation

In this powerful and deeply emotional episode, host Jodi speaks with Jane O'Brien, a mother of three and former media professional, who shares her remarkable journey through chronic illness, resilience, and life-saving transformation. After being diagnosed at 38 with cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis, Jane spent 15 years battling progressive lung disease and vocal cord paralysis. Her life changed forever when, at the edge of lung failure, she received the gift of a double lung transplant.

Jane opens up about the physical and emotional toll of living with chronic illness while raising young children, her struggle with the idea of receiving donor organs, and the strength she drew from her family, her medical team, and the belief that better health was possible. She also shares how her daughter Holly’s drawing of her with healthy lungs became a daily symbol of hope—an image she kept by her side during hospital stays.

This conversation is a moving exploration of uncertainty, gratitude, mental health, and the profound impact of organ donation—not only on recipients but on their families, too.

PART 2 of this conversation will be released, in the next episode

 

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