If you can't breathe, nothing else matters! Help Jess get to the Australian Transplant Games 2026!
Help a double lung transplant recipient to attend the Australian Transplant Games in 2026!
Christchurch, Canterbury
This year I’m celebrating five years since my life-changing double lung transplant, and I’m deeply grateful for every breath. In my early 20s, I was diagnosed with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare lung disease that slowly stole my ability to breathe. For 13 years, I fought to stay well enough for life, yet unwell enough to qualify for transplant. That miracle came in early 2020—and with it, the gift of more life.
One of my long-held dreams has been to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the Transplant Games. A powerful celebration of life after transplant. While I’ve had to withdraw from the 2025 World Transplant Games in Germany due to health and insurance challenges, I’ve now set my sights on the Australian Transplant Games in 2026.
I plan to compete in golf, tennis, and the 5km road run! I’m training hard to be strong, healthy, and joyful enough to give it my all. These Games are about more than sport—they’re about community, hope, and honouring the gift of life.
The Games are self-funded, and your support will help cover flights, travel, registration, accommodation, training, and insurance. I’ll be travelling with my husband, Lewis, who’s been my rock through this journey. His support is essential for my health and wellbeing while away.
How You Can Support
Whether it’s a donation, a share, or a kind message—every bit of support makes a difference. Thank you for being part of this journey. I’m so excited to represent our amazing transplant community in 2026!
Jess x
Use of funds
All funds raised will go towards registration, travel, accommodation and insurance costs to attend, as well as any assistance with training.
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Latest update
One step forward, multiple back, and being immunocompromised 1 March 2025
So much has happened since the last update. I have ended up in hospital, not once, but twice. Turns out after having a bronchoscopy a week ago, not one but two viruses were discovered in my lungs. Rhinovirus (the standard cold virus, and parainfluenza). While this may not sound like a big deal, it is to someone who is immunocompromised. The journey to participating in the games is an exciting one but now always an easy one. For a normal person these viruses would not normally be a big deal, but to someone like me they can be! I’m so paranoid that I will end up with pneumonia like last year, and not be able to compete, let alone train enough to be able to compete! I did manage to do one session at the gym this week which is awesome and I should be out of here tomorrow ready for another week at work :) so that I can try and save some money for the trip as well. I als never thought that I would have to take being given OV access for granted, my veins are so bruised form IV attempts and scarred from blood tests over the past five years that I almost always have to have an ultrasound now to get one in to deliver any meds I might need. I am however grateful to be here, for the gift my donor has given me and the extra five years of life I have had, with many more to come. I would love to know what you are grateful for, something I try to make Lewis talk about at the end of every day (much to his annoyance probably).
Latest donations
Thank you so much for your generosity :)
Thank you so much, not sure about those Hurricanes!
Thanks heaps appreciate the support!
Thank you so much
Thank you for your generosity x
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