CKF Board Member, Double Lung Recipient & Kidney Candidate - Holly Szmutko
For Holly Szmutko, a double lung transplant recipient, transplant candidate, and member of the Chris Klug Foundation’s Board of Directors, organ donation means the chance to keep living, make memories, and help others understand its life-changing impact.
Holly was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension in January 2019 after nearly five years of unexplained symptoms. As her condition worsened, she struggled to keep working and eventually collapsed at work. Doctors told her she had just two years to live. Determined to keep fighting, Holly sought specialized care at Northwestern, but medication after medication failed to improve her condition. In May 2021, just over two years after her diagnosis, she received a double lung transplant.
Recovery was far from easy. Even after surgery, Holly had to overcome physical and mental challenges, including learning to breathe without supplemental oxygen after relying on it for so long. But she persevered, determined to make the most of the life she had been given.
One of the greatest gifts of her transplant has been watching her nieces and nephews grow up and making memories she once feared she would miss. From decorating donuts with her niece and nephew to exploring downtown Chicago together, these everyday experiences have become especially meaningful. As Holly puts it, she can now tell her family, “I’m not dying. I’m living.”
Holly doesn’t know the identity of her lung donor, but she has written letters each year on the anniversary of her transplant, expressing her gratitude and leaving the door open for her donor’s family to connect. In the meantime, she has made it her mission to educate others about organ donation. Through her community advocacy and annual 5K for organ donation awareness, she helps people better understand the donation process and the importance of registering as a donor.
Today, Holly is waiting for a kidney transplant. She has already had 18 people try to match with her and is exploring paired donation. One person, whom Holly has never met, was moved by her story and began the paired donation process in hopes of helping someone like her. Holly is careful never to pressure anyone to become a donor. Instead, she hopes her story inspires people to learn more and consider how they might help others. As she explains, the ability to save someone’s life means the world to her.
Despite the challenges she continues to face, Holly meets each day with positivity. Her journey is a powerful reminder that the gift of organ donation reaches far beyond surgery. It gives recipients the chance to make new memories, reconnect with loved ones, and share their stories in ways that may inspire others to give the gift of life.
