PORTLAND, Maine — Earlier this year, we share the inspiring journey of Zanetta Smith, a woman from Portland whose very breath became a matter of life and death.
Smith's mother had passed away in 2017 because of complications from COPD while Zanetta was fighting her own battle. She had progressed to stage 4 COPD and was in desperate need of an immediate lung transplant.
Fast forward to this fall, and Zanetta is not just alive but breathing on her own.
Back in January, Zanetta was told that it would be at least a six-month wait before she could receive a transplant. Little did she know, her life was about to change dramatically.
After a failed transplant attempt in June, Zanetta's hope never wavered.
"We sent her home, and then a month later, we got the proper transplant for her," Brian Keller, medical director of lung transplantation at Mass General Hospital, said.
On July 28, her birthday, Zanetta received the lifesaving call she had been waiting for.
"I always had this feeling that I was going to pass away at 50 years old, and when I got the call on July 27th, it was so odd because I'm turning 51, and I had that one day left," she said.
What better birthday present than the gift of life itself?
While Zanetta is now breathing on her own, it's taking some getting used to.
"I get out of my car, and I know I'm forgetting something, but there's no oxygen tank in there anymore. I don't have to remember to bring it," Smith said.
Though COPD is gone from her life, Zanetta will continue to rely on medications to keep her "new" lungs functioning properly. But she's determined to keep fighting and cherishing this second chance at life.
In New England, where only two lung transplant programs exist, both in Boston, Mass General Hospital's efforts have brought new life and hope to individuals like Zanetta.
On average, people receive transplants within about four months of being placed on the list, making a profound difference in their lives.