Lifesharing volunteer LeeAnn Pusateri marked the 10th anniversary of her double-lung transplant in October 2024. A decade ago, LeeAnn was on death’s doorstep, suffering from pulmonary fibrosis. The autoimmune disease ravaged her body and essentially turned her into a walking skeleton—she withered away to a mere 85 pounds. Breathing felt like sucking air through a straw, and she had to carry an oxygen tank with her everywhere. Her children lived in constant fear, thinking their mother could die at any moment.
Then came “the call” from her transplant center: a pair of matching lungs from a deceased organ donor had been found. LeeAnn rushed to the hospital for surgery, writing goodbye letters to her children just in case she didn’t survive the operation. Thankfully, she not only survived—she thrived.
For more than a decade, LeeAnn has served as a dedicated volunteer for Lifesharing, using her second chance at life to educate and inspire others. With her new lungs, she has spoken in more than 500 classrooms and reached over 31,000 local students with the message of organ donation. Lifesharing’s high school outreach efforts are led by Christy Heymann.