Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Justin Anthony will never forget the first breath he took with a new pair of lungs. To him, "it means freedom".
Before that day, the UAE-based South African teacher had spent more than a decade battling pulmonary hypertension, a condition that had eventually left him dependent on an oxygen machine around the clock.
When doctors told him his only hope was a double lung transplant, the procedure felt like a miracle — one made possible entirely by the generosity of a stranger.
Ahead of World Transplant Day on June 6, Anthony looked back on the transformation that took him from a frail patient hooked to machines to an athlete who now throws javelins, plays darts and bowling, representing the UAE on the global stage.
"Four years ago, my future was uncertain. Today, I am a father, a husband, an athlete, and someone who proudly represented the UAE at the World Transplant Games. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of my donor," he told Aletihad.
Anthony underwent the double lung transplant at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in August 2022. Every breath since has been a reminder of kindness — from the donor whose decision gave him a second chance at life, to the medical team that helped him through his darkest days, to the family that refused to let him give up.
"My first breath, my first walk, and every day that I grew stronger reminded me why I was fighting," he said. "My wife stood by me through every high and low, and my family never stopped believing in me, even during the moments when I thought I might not make it."
Now, he makes a conscious effort not to take a single moment for granted. Breathing freely, he said, means being able to play with his children, return to teaching, and enjoy the ordinary moments that he once had to fight for air to get through.
"Because of my donor's gift, I have been able to watch my children grow and create memories with my family that I once could only dream about," he said. He hopes his story will encourage others to consider organ donation, calling it an opportunity to give someone an entirely new life.
The road to that outcome, however, is rarely simple. Doctors who work with transplant patients know that a successful procedure depends on far more than surgery alone.
"Successful transplantation relies on multidisciplinary expertise, coordinated care, and long-term support for patients," said Dr Umar Maqbool, Specialist in General Surgery and Renal Transplant Surgeon at Burjeel Medical City.
But above all else, he said, none of it is possible without the initial act of donation. "Organ donation is truly the gift of life, and its impact extends far beyond the recipient, bringing hope to entire families and communities."
