Name?

Natasha Kirker

What is your connection to transplant?

I am a double lung transplant recipient twice over!

Why did you choose to have your care at Columbia?

No one was really doing lungs when I was going through the work up almost 18 years ago – for me it was between MGH and Columbia, and Dr. Ginsburg was willing to give me a shot when others didn’t necessarily agree with him. I can remember the program basically being in the basement at the time! 

How many years are you post-transplant?

I am 14 years from my first (Nov 12, 2003) and almost 6 from my second (Feb 15, 2012)

What is your quality of life like now?

There is nothing I desire to do that I can’t.

Tell us about your relationship with your transplant team.

It’s hard to explain to anyone outside of the transplant bubble what a team of medical professionals can mean in your life. I wouldn’t be alive without many of them, which lends you to almost falling in love with these people. I have known Dr. Arcasoy almost half of my life. And I can’t even begin with how special Dr. Joshua Sonett is.   

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Want to share your story with us? Email transplantforum@columbia.edu to get started!