A West Virginia woman married the love of her life on September 28th. double lung transplant Then she meets her deceased donor's younger brother and falls in love.
Jennifer Ellis, who is also the 2015 West Virginia American Ms., underwent a double lung transplant at the Cleveland Clinic in 2019 and received a set of lungs from her donor, the late Jill Ellis.
“I got a call. My lungs are here. They found a set for me. I'm so excited,” Jennifer Ellis said in a video recorded just before her transplant surgery. he said. “It's definitely bittersweet that a beautiful young woman had to die in order for me to get my lungs back. I don't know if I'll ever know who you are, but thank you.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Jennifer Ellis was born with reverse sitting positiona rare condition in which the body's organs are turned upside down.
“My heart, stomach, and spleen are on the right side instead of the left side, and my gallbladder and liver are on the left side instead of the right side,” Jennifer Ellis said. cleveland clinic.
According to , Ellis was diagnosed with reverse sitting position at birth and was later diagnosed with primary ciliary dyskinesia. The condition can lead to frequent sinus infections and lung damage, and may also be associated with inverted sitting positions. National Institutes of Health.
Jennifer Ellis' condition became chronic, and despite her previously active lifestyle, her doctors eventually recommended that she be placed on the transplant waiting list.
“I used to be very active, but I had to stop because I was constantly connected to machines. I couldn't go anywhere except to the doctor.” [office]'' Jennifer Ellis told the Cleveland Clinic.
Jennifer Ellis said she experienced transplant rejection after receiving new lungs, but is working with her care team to make them stronger.
Along the way, she met her family, including her late donor Jill Ellis' brother, Travis Ellis, who lives in Wisconsin.
“When I first met Travis, I thought he was the cutest guy,” Jennifer Ellis told the Cleveland Clinic. “But I never thought it would turn into anything a thousand years later. Because of the distance, it wasn't even an option in my head.”
However, the two hit it off and became friends. Jennifer Ellis told the Cleveland Clinic that they connected “instantly.” Their friendship then became something more and they fell in love.
“Every time she was in the hospital, I would check in on her to make sure she didn't feel alone. It all just happened naturally,” Travis Ellis told the Cleveland Clinic. told.
Travis Ellis proposed to Jennifer in July 2023, and the couple married 14 months later. In addition to their family and friends, the Ellises also spoke in front of their guest of honor, Jennifer Ellis' physician, Dr. Marie Boudev, a pulmonologist and medical director of lung transplant and heart at the Cleveland Clinic. said. Lung transplant program.
“I was so happy when Jennifer asked me to be the guest of honor at her wedding,” Budev said. “But the real guests of honor are her donors; [she was] He is with us in spirit. ”
Jennifer Ellis said organ donation saves lives and Jill Ellis' gift was truly life-changing.
“Becoming an organ donor saves lives. It allows others to create memories that they otherwise wouldn't have,” she says. “If it wasn't for my donor, I would never have met the love of my life.”