Maria Knowlton knew from an early age that her life was not normal. Maria was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth and spent every day thereafter, along with her parents, caring for her lungs. She would eventually need a lung transplant, which she received in April 2000. "Life since my transplant has been so weird in that it's normal," shared Maria. She no longer has to spend all day taking care of her health. "I can spend that energy on our two beautiful children. I volunteer, teach Sunday school and serve as Cub Scout Master. My donor was a 42-year-old Ohioan and a hero."

Maria's Story

Maria Knowlton knew from an early age that her life was not normal. She did inhalation treatments three times a day, and her parents pounded on her chest to loosen the mucus in her lungs. Maria coughed when she laughed, and she couldn't run very far without gasping for air. She had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at birth and spent every day thereafter, along with her parents, caring for her lungs.

That care paid off for many years; Maria was "almost normal." But as Maria grew up, the daily care wasn't enough. She was a frequent hospital patient rather than a college student, sometimes simultaneously, going to classes between IV and respiratory therapies. Maria wasn't surprised or happy when her doctor said it was time to consider a lung transplant.

While Maria's health was deteriorating, her personal life was blooming. She became best friends with a co-worker, Dan. He was there through every hospital visit, and she could see his car from the ambulance window on an emergency trip to the hospital. They married in 1997.

Maria was placed on the transplant list in September 1998. She was on supplemental oxygen and her mobility was becoming increasingly limited. By the spring of 2000, she could no longer care for herself. Her husband and mom helped her take care of her basic needs, and she slept most of the time. On April 12, 2000, Maria was still out of breath from her walk to the bathroom when the phone rang. "My mom took the call and told me that the hospital had new lungs for me."

"Life since my transplant has been so weird in that it's normal," shared Maria. She takes her daily medication, but she no longer has to spend all day taking care of her health. "I can spend that energy on our two beautiful children, Ian and Josie, both of whom we adopted after my transplant. I volunteer for the Indiana Organ Procurement Organization (IOPO) and the PTA, teach Sunday school and serve as Cub Master of our local Cub Scout pack. Even on my best days before my transplant I couldn't have done those things! My donor was a 42-year-old Ohioan and a hero."

IOPO is grateful for Maria's many years of service as a dedicated volunteer, speaking to thousands of high school and college students, health care professionals and community groups.

"I love being normal," says Maria. "How can I ever thank God and my donor enough for that?"