Isabel Stenzel Byrnes and her twin sister have both been afflicted with cystic fibrosis since birth. They also shared writing a book after both received double lung transplants. Isabel’s lungs have allowed her to run relays, climb mountains, and hike the Grand Canyon.

Isa's Story

Isabel Stenzel Byrnes, 35, was born in Los Angeles to German and Japanese immigrant parents. Shortly after birth, Isabel and her identical twin sister, Anabel, were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic, progressive lung disease. As they grew up, the sisters tried to lead relatively normal lives, despite lifelong medical treatments, hospitalizations and limitations.

Anabel and Isabel were healthy enough to attend Stanford University and both majored in human biology. They spent a year together in Japan teaching English, and then attended graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley. Isabel studied social welfare and public health, and began a career as a medical social worker at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif. She married her Stanford sweetheart, Andrew Byrnes, in 1998.

Two years later, Anabel’s health began to decline rapidly, and she was able to undergo a double lung transplant in June 2000. As she witnessed Anabel’s return to health and the joy of living a normal life, Isabel’s health began to decline, She stopped working in 2002, but remained an active volunteer serving the cystic fibrosis community, a local animal shelter, and high-risk infants and their families. Despite being dependent on supplemental oxygen, she remained physically active with aerobic classes, hiking and walking her dog.

In late 2003, Isabel’s health took a sudden turn for the worse. She was listed for a double lung transplant and put on a ventilator shortly before total lung failure. On February 6, 2004, she received her new lungs from 18-year-old Xavier Cervantes, who died in a car accident.

Isabel had a very successful recovery and is enjoying her newfound health. She attended the 2004 and 2006 US Transplant Games with Team Northern California, joined a choir that sang in Carnegie Hall, traveled the world, ran a relay and half marathon, climbed some of California’s highest mountains, and hiked the Grand Canyon. She even learned to play the bagpipes well enough to join the San Francisco Stewart Tartan Pipes and Drums.

Isabel returned to work in health education and co-authored a book with Anabel, "The Power of Two: A Twin Triumph Over Cystic Fibrosis." She continues to be an active volunteer for the cystic fibrosis and organ donation communities.

“I credit my survival to the determination of my loving parents and the support of my friends with CF,” said Isabel. “I attempt to make the most of each and every day and am profoundly grateful to Xavier's family and all donor families who make this unimaginable human resurrection possible.”

On September 10, 2007, Isabel wrote: “Today is my donor's birthday- he'd be 22. Look at what he has enabled me to do! Thanks to him and God.”