{"id":14,"date":"2023-07-18T12:41:32","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T12:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cota1.wpengine.com\/cloningsite\/?page_id=14"},"modified":"2026-04-24T13:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T13:35:35","slug":"our-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforjenslungs\/our-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jen\u2019s Story: Fighting for Her Next Chance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Right now, Jen is facing kidney failure<\/strong> \u2014 and will need a kidney transplant soon.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comes after everything her body has already endured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the medications required to keep those lungs alive \u2014 powerful immunosuppressants \u2014 have now caused significant damage to her kidneys.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 19th<\/sup>, 2024, Jen received her second double-lung transplant<\/strong> \u2014 a rare, direct donation after 3.5 years of waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It saved her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The medications keeping her alive are also putting her next organ at risk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Survival to Purpose<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jen was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that has impacted nearly every part of her body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She received her first double-lung transplant at just 13 years old, giving her seven meaningful years before chronic rejection began. Over the past decade, she has faced more than most people will in a lifetime \u2014 and she has never stopped fighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, after her second transplant, Jen is finally doing something she fought incredibly hard for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s living her life again.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And she\u2019s not keeping that life to herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jen has become a chronic illness and transplant advocate, speaker, and content creator,<\/strong> using her voice to raise awareness, support other patients, and give hope to families facing the same fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Reality Behind the Recovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even with this second chance, Jen\u2019s journey is far from over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her life is a constant balance of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Lifesaving medications<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Frequent lab work and monitoring<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Ongoing specialist care at NYU Langone Health in New York City<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Preparing for another major transplant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Being close to her transplant team is critical. Access to care, timing, and rapid response can make the difference between stability and emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why We Need Your Help \u2014 Again<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Many of you supported COTA in honor of Jen through her first transplant journey. That support helped save her life \u2014 and we will never forget it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We understand this is another ask, and we do not take that lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But transplant care is not a one-time event \u2014 it is lifelong, complex, and financially overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Right now, donations to COTA are needed to help cover transplant-related expenses like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Ongoing post-transplant care<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Access to her NYC medical team<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Costs associated with an upcoming kidney transplant<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Medications, monitoring, and long-term recovery<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Jen continues to work with the Children\u2019s Organ Transplant Association (COTA), which ensures that 100% of donations made in her honor go directly toward transplant-related expenses.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How You Can Make an Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      If you can give, your support of COTA directly helps Jen continue this fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If giving isn\u2019t possible, sharing this page <\/strong>is incredibly powerful and helps expand her support system in ways that truly matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Every share <\/strong>matters.
      Every donation<\/strong> to COTA helps sustain her care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Still Here. Still Fighting. Still Giving Back.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Jen has fought through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Cystic fibrosis<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Two double-lung transplants<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Chronic rejection<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • And now kidney failure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        And through it all, she has turned survival into purpose \u2014 using her voice to advocate for others facing chronic illness and transplant journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        She is still here.
        She is still fighting.
        And she is not giving up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Follow Jen\u2019s Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube
        @jencantbreathe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        With Gratitude<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Thank you for standing with Jen \u2014 not just once, but again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Your support, your shares, and your kindness mean more than words can express.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        With heartfelt thanks, Jen & Family <3<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Jen\u2019s Story: Fighting for Her Next Chance Right now, Jen is facing kidney failure \u2014 and will need a kidney transplant soon. This comes after everything her body has already endured. But the medications required to keep those lungs alive \u2014 powerful immunosuppressants \u2014 have now caused significant damage to her kidneys. On August 19th, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":221,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOur Story - COTA for Jen Dunlea<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforjenslungs\/our-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Our Story\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Jen\u2019s Story: Fighting for Her Next Chance Right now, Jen is facing kidney failure \u2014 and will need a kidney transplant soon. This comes after everything her body has already endured. 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