Cody - double lung and liver recipient, NSW

Cody is the fourth person in New South Wales to be saved by a double lung and liver transplant.

“It’s the gift of life. It really changes your perspective on life, your world around you and where you see yourself in it. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my donor. I think about that every day,” he said.

As a child Cody was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease that affects the functioning of the respiratory and digestive systems. It required daily medication and intensive physiotherapy to survive.

He organised his own medication, enzyme tablets taken daily to help digest food; made sure he didn’t miss a physiotherapy treatment, required to clear mucus from his airways; regularly exercised and maintained a positive mindset.

But after a series of medical setbacks in 2017 his lungs and liver function deteriorated. A team of surgeons from RPA and Sydney’s St Vincent’s hospitals carried out the marathon double lung and liver transplant operation.

“The last thing I remember is being wheeled into the operating theatre. The next thing I recall is I’m waking up… and it wasn’t hard to breathe.

“After the first week… I started to notice enormous changes, very quickly. I didn’t need to cough. Walking around was pretty good and my appetite had shot through the roof.

Cody recovered well from surgery, undergoing an intensive rehabilitation program.

“You realise how much the human body relies on function organs to operate. Two healthy lungs and a liver… it can be almost instant the level of change that you can experience,” he said.

“For me, receiving the transplants, it’s not just receiving a second chance at life. The absolute greatest human gift that someone can give to someone else, is the gift that cannot be bought.”