Hélène Campbell looks to the future after second lung transplant

To say Hélène Campbell is inspirational would only undercut all that she has done, and not just for her city or her country, but also for all those who are in need of life-saving organs from donors.

Campbell was recognized Thursday evening by the city of Ottawa for her work in spreading awareness for organ donation with a key to the city, the city of Ottawa’s highest honour, bestowed upon esteemed residents, visitors and others whom the City of Ottawa wishes to honour. The key is a carryover from medieval walled cities and symbolizes the freedom of the recipient to enter and leave the city at will as a trusted friend of city residents.

“Hélène Campbell’s spirit and drive are inspirational,” said Mayor Jim Watson at the ceremony. “As a city, we are so proud of her efforts to promote organ donations, which save lives. She has led her awareness campaigns with grace, perseverance and humility. Ottawa is blessed to have such a courageous young leader as part of our community and setting an example for others.”

Campbell received her first lung transplant in 2012 but had to receive a second lung transplant in September of last year due to her body’s slow rejection of her original transplant. That didn’t slow her down one bit, though. She’s looking to go back to school and get her life back on track.

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“I’m living my life, one day at a time, one breath at a time, one key at a time,” Campbell quipped. “No, I’m kidding, this is such an honour for me.”

Campbell first came to prominence in 2011, when she started a social media campaign and launched her Twitter account @alungstory. In January 2012, while waiting for her transplant, she started using the hashtag #BeAnOrganDonor with a goal to get Justin Bieber to retweet the message to create awareness and encourage people to talk about organ donation. Justin retweeted, her campaign took off and organ donation registrations increased.

In April 2012, Campbell received her new lungs and proceeded to double down on her efforts to spread awareness and get more people to donate. She’s received several awards, including the Trillium Gift of Life Network Champion Award, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, The Order of Ottawa and a Communicator of the Year Award.

“There’s so much to be grateful for, but I really love this city and I’m so grateful to this city for everything,” Campbell said.

Campbell is now living in Barrhaven, which she calls the “greatest suburb in the world.” She says she has a good dog now and walks him all the time and plans to pick her life back up after putting it on pause due to her second transplant.

For more information on organ donation in Canada, visit the Be a Donor website.