Faced with less than a month to live, Ashley Quinter's war with cystic fibrosis took a miraculous turn when she received a lung transplant the week of Thanksgiving 2009. Her donor: boxing champion Paco Rodriguez, who died after a title bout. She has since met Paco's family, who all welcomed Ashley with open arms. In fact, three of Paco's recipients and his brother Alex came to her wedding. "Less than two years ago I was sure I was going to die," said Ashley. "From here on out every accomplishment I make, every step and every breath that I take is because of Paco."

Ashley's Story

It was Friday the 13th of November, 2009; a day that is notorious among superstitious believers to be a day of misfortune. For Ashley, it was a day that set in motion events that would ultimately save her life. Ashley felt like she was dying, "I tried covering up my cold blue fingers, purple lips, the oxygen I wore at night and should wear during the day, but it was still no secret. It was something all of us knew would happen one day, as is common with cystic fibrosis."

Ashley started that day like any other, by driving herself to school. It was pouring rain and she had trouble walking, with a lung function of 20%. Ashley collapsed on the side of the street gasping for air. Ashley had already done necessary evaluations and signed all the papers to be put on the transplant waiting list. "All I had to do was give them the word- and I was officially on the list. I was told the wait would be six to twelve months," recounts Ashley. She struggled back to her car that rainy Friday the 13th, and called her doctor. "I'm ready," she breathed into the phone.

Hours later, Ashley's right lung collapsed. She was later told that if she had not gone on the list when she did, she would have been considered too sick to go on the list. She made it just in time. Jesse and her parents rushed Ashley to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. Ashley spent the next week on a breathing machine in critical care. The doctors told her family they did not expect Ashley to make it to Christmas. "Everyone was devastated and there was little hope," describes Ashley.

Miraculously, just three days later, Ashley received a set of new lungs. "I am now 24 and just celebrated my one and a half year survival! I can now walk, run, swim, and I graduated in December, 2010 to be an elementary teacher, and my boyfriend Jesse and I got married! All of which could not have happened without these new lungs."

Ashley found out her lungs came from Paco Rodriguez, who was a boxer. Gift of Life arranged for Ashley to meet his family and thank them. Paco's wife Sonia, daughter Ginette, brother Alex, and the rest of his family welcomed Ashley with open arms. "We are all now a family so much so that three of Paco's recipients and his brother Alex actually came to our wedding! I am so happy to have gotten the chance to thank his wife for making the decision for her 25 year old husband to donate his organs. That decision saved my life, and four others," said Ashley.