The vast majority of individuals breathe without ever realizing it. Jennifer Jones, on the other hand, who had endured severe pain with every breath, would never forget the day she was able to breathe regularly without the use of a respirator.

Jennifer, now 40, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis 11 years ago. Jennifer’s lungs continued to lose capacity and effectiveness as her health deteriorated, making even the most fundamental act of breathing uncomfortable for her.

In June of last year, she began seeking for a lung transplant donor. By October, her lung function had dropped to 10.8%, necessitating the use of a respirator to help her breathe.

Jennifer’s fiancé Robert Ronnenberg, 38, decided to film the moment she was trying out her new pair of lungs after a successful lung transplant procedure. Jennifer could finally breathe comfortably for the first time in a long time.

Jennifer recalls remarking, “For so long, I have not been able to breathe like that,” shortly after her surgery.
“At first, I was afraid, but then I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, I can breathe!'” she went on. It was overwhelming, but I could still breathe and take in all of this air. It was incredible.

Jennifer’s extraordinary recovery was solely due to an anonymous donor’s altruistic act of giving her the lungs.

On National Donor Day, she also has a special message for the donor family.
“I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for them.” It’s not about me; it’s about them, and their legacy lives on because I’m able to witness it now. This is a one-of-a-kind thing of which I am really proud, and I see these lungs and this gift as a kid, which I will protect with all my effort. But not their legacy, but my miracle.

Rob then uploaded a video to YouTube of Jennifer taking her first unobstructed breath, which has now received over 30 million views. Other donor families who saw the film also left touching comments for them.

One woman, according to Rob, contacted them after viewing the video online. Rob says, “She lost a nephew. “You know, we got the card from the family who got the organs, and that was nice, but nothing moved me or gave me that sense of closure and really what it means to be an organ donor and recipient like watching this video and seeing her face and knowing that she gets to live and seeing that impact,’ she said. That is the main focus of this.

Rob and Jennifer were really grateful for the transplant and hoped that the video would help spread the word about how significantly transforming an organ donation may be for a person’s life.

Watch Jennifer finally breathing with her new lungs for the first time in this breath-taking moment: