Before the lung transplant surgery, 48-year-old Genie Kilpatrick told herself if she was healthy she would join the World Transplant Games for transplant recipients.

Genie Kilpatrick, who lives in Texas, used to be a tennis coach, which means a lot to her.

"Tennis saved my life. I used to be a chubby kid, this is how I exercise," Genie said.

Tennis also helped her meet her partner, after winning a full sports scholarship.

Genie practices tennis in the room. Photo: ABC News.

However, in 2015, at the age of 48, Genie found it difficult to breathe. As a sports player, her symptoms greatly affect her life and work, she goes to the doctor.

Initially, it was difficult for doctors to diagnose Genie's disease. Later, the doctor determined she had pulmonary capillary hemangioma, also known as pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis (PCH). The disease causes the capillaries in both lungs to grow abnormally, causing difficulty breathing. Without treatment, the patient's prognosis life is 3 years.

The only cure for PCH is a lung transplant.

During the illness, Genie could not walk normally indoors without a 21-liter oxygen tank.

"It was difficult because I didn't think I could hold a racket in my hand again. I sat by the window, watched everyone jog and thought, if only I could move," Genie said.

Hope to return to tennis began to flicker when her name was put on the waiting list for an organ transplant. After 5 months, she received a call to announce she had found a suitable donor.

Genie performs a lung transplant at the Southwest Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas. Challenging surgery, but unexpected success.

Just before the surgery, she learned about World Transplant Games 2019, the Olympics dedicated to transplant patients. She sees this as a great opportunity for herself and tells herself if she gets better after a lung transplant she will join the Olympics.

The majority of athletes participating in World Transplant Games undergo kidney, liver or pancreas transplant surgery. Quite a few people have ever had a lung transplant. According to a report by the University of Michigan Medical School, there are only about 2,000 lung transplants in the US each year. Meanwhile, there are 18,000 kidney transplants.

"I don't know what it feels like to have a kidney or liver transplant. But I feel like everyone around me after having a lung transplant," Genie said.

Genie's husband hung large posters to encourage her. During her two months at the hospital, she performed gentle exercises such as hitting balls up and down and walking around the hallways. "I'm not going anywhere without my racket," said Genie.

With extraordinary effort, Genie won the gold medal excellently at the World Transplant Games.

Genie is promoting awareness about organ donation and its impact on the lives of patients. She went to the tournaments of the team she used to train, setting up information booths for people wishing to donate organs.

Genie shares her gratitude for what she has received and hopes other patients will have a chance to follow their dreams as well.

According to the VNExpress.net