A friends-led fundraiser supporting our incredible pal Pia’s recovery after a life-saving lung transplant.

Please help us give Pia her second chance. Keep reading to her her story in her own words.

Hi, my name is Pia, I am 39, and I have been living with cystic fibrosis since I was a baby.

Growing up with CF wasn’t easy. I quickly realised I wasn’t like my peers.

My childhood was shaped by daily medications, physiotherapy with my parents, frequent hospital appointments with a large CF team and occasional hospital stays. Despite this, I was fortunate to have relatively few complications.

As CF is a degenerative disease, things became more challenging in adulthood. Balancing everyday life while maintaining my health grew increasingly difficult, and over time both my physical and mental health were affected.

In my late 20s, my health seriously declined.

I had to adapt to frequent, long-term hospital admissions, additional complications, and eventually the introduction of 24 hour oxygen.

I began the process toward a double lung transplant, which brought a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety. There were extensive assessments and meetings before I was placed on the transplant list in Ireland. This involved significant physical and mental preparation, long periods of waiting, and emotional strain which included experiencing a false call for a transplant.

Following several medical emergencies, I was told my case had become too complex for any further treatment in Ireland. I was sent home on new CF modulators and advised to try to remain stable. Being told there were no further options was incredibly difficult to process, and I struggled with the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

Determined not to accept that I had no future, I began researching and applying for treatment options abroad. After several refusals, I finally found a hospital at the end of 2025 willing to take on my case. Since then, I have been travelling back and forth with the support of CFI, my family, my friends, and my CF team in Galway.

Now, I am about to be placed on the transplant list.

A double lung transplant is a complex procedure, and the recovery period is also complicated.

The first year after a lung transplant is the most important. My body will be adjusting to new lungs, and the risk of complications is highest.

The first six months of recovery are especially intensive. They involve regular hospital visits, blood tests, scans, and bronchoscopies, alongside close support from family and friends. There are also strict lifestyle adjustments due to being extremely immunocompromised, including maintaining a clean living environment, using filtered water, avoiding public spaces and exposure to germs, and eating fresh, carefully prepared food.

To give myself the best possible chance of a successful recovery and long-term survival, I have decided to relocate to the UK for the first six months after my transplant so I can remain close to my transplant team.

This fundraiser will help cover the costs of relocation and the essentials needed to live in a safe, controlled environment during recovery, easing the financial burden and reducing additional stress.

This has been a long and uncertain journey, but a transplant gives me the chance at life again, better health, more time with my loved ones, and a future that once felt out of reach.

Any support, whether through donating or sharing my story, would mean so much.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

— Pia