After having a double-lung transplant two months ago, a Windsor woman has made a remarkable turnaround.

Hollie Leamont says there’s no comparison to before and after her transplant.

“When you can't breathe all your life and then all of a sudden you're breathing, it’s amazing,” says Leamont.

She says she feels she's been reborn and it’s obvious, her life has been totally transformed. Only two months ago, Leamont was terminally ill.  Her lungs so weak, she couldn't get out of bed.

The doctor told her family if Leamont wouldn’t have gotten her lungs when she did, they would have lost her in three months.

But she got another shot at life.

“It’s something. I can't even explain it,” says Leamont.

Leamont was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at six weeks old. Every year, breathing became more difficult.  At 40 years old, her lung capacity at only 19 per cent. Leamont underwent a double lung transplant. Faced with certain death, it was her only option. 

“Not everyone gets the chance that Hollie had,” says Dr. Lianne Singer, medical director of the Lung Transplant Program at Toronto General Hospital.  

She had the life-changing procedure on Jan. 23. 

Leamont’s mom, Patricia Doan MacDonald, says she was worried how it was going to turn out.

“I was nervous,” says MacDonald. “I went in, she wanted me to rub her stomach. She opened her eyes. I was so happy. I couldn't believe it. Then I broke down and cried tears of joy.” 

Now for the first time in many years Leamont is breathing almost normally again. 

Her new lung function is already more than three times the function of her old lungs – 72 per cent of normal.

“That's outstanding lung function for this soon post-transplant,” says Singer. “It may well continue to get better.”

“That's what is so inspiring working with transplant patients, seeing people so desperately ill before transplant and seeing their lives completely transformed by this gift and being able to go out there and do whatever they did before they got so sick.”

Leamont says she feels like she has another whole life.

“It’s a new gift of life and I thank my donor every day for it,” says Leamont. “Every day because without that donor, I would not be here. They are the reason why I'm taking my breath and why I'm able to do what I'm doing now.”

Leamont does not know who her donor was.

Singer says her facility conducts around 120 lung transplants each year.  She says 15 to 20 per cent of people waiting on the list, won't be as fortunate as Leamont.

“We do more than most lung transplant programs in world,” says Singer. “There still aren't enough donor organs. So we still have people dying on the list.

It's not an easy road ahead for Leamont, though. She has to maintain a very healthy lifestyle to keep her lungs strong.  There will be intensive follow up for years to come.  For the remainder of her life, every day, she will be on a large dose of anti-rejection medications.

But Leamont says even with the challenges, the future looks bright.

She remains in Toronto for post-transplant follow-up, but assuming things continue to go well, she hopes to be home in May.

Leamont will be on anti-rejection drugs for the rest of her life, some of which are not covered and will have to be paid for out of pocket.

Her husband Steve is spending weekends in Toronto, but returns to Windsor to work during the week.

A fundraising campaign to help pay the costs of maintaining two homes and others expenses such as medicine has been set up for Leamont.

A fundraiser is also taking place on April 11 at Moose Lodge in Windsor from 4-8 p.m.  Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door or at Riverside Family Fitness or at 6700 Wyandotte East or call (519) 948-8864 to have them delivered anywhere around Windsor.