Lungitude Foundation

26/08/2026

Supporting lung transplant recipients takes a dedicated village. Every contribution makes a massive impact.

Here are 4 simple ways to get involved today:

📢 Spread the Word: Share our posts to raise awareness.

💻 Lend Your Skills: Volunteer your social media skills or share your story.

🤝 Join the Cause: Host a community fundraiser with friends or coworkers.

💝 Make a Donation: Give financial support to help keep vital research running.

Ready to make a difference? 👇

🔗 Click here to join our community today: lungitude.com.au

19/08/2026

📢 New Resource: Menopause and Lung Transplantation

Following the launch of our first self-advocacy booklet on rejection, we're pleased to release the second resource in Navigating Transplant: A Self-Advocacy Series — Menopause.

Some women experience perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause while navigating a lung transplant. At times, it can be difficult to know whether changes are related to menopause, transplant medications, your transplant itself, or something else entirely.

That's why we've created this new booklet to help women feel more informed and prepared for conversations about menopause with their transplant team and other healthcare professionals involved in their care.

Note: This booklet is not medical advice and should not replace advice from your transplant team or other qualified healthcare professionals. Your transplant team should always be your first point of contact for questions about your health, symptoms or treatment. This resource has been designed to help you prepare for those conversations and consider what questions you may wish to ask.

The booklet includes questions that may help you:

✔ Talk about changes you may be experiencing
✔ Explore how menopause may relate to your transplant and overall health
✔ Prepare for discussions about assessments, treatment and ongoing care
✔ Understand some of the terms you may hear
✔ Navigate conversations when different healthcare professionals are involved
✔ Find menopause, transplant and emotional support resources

Throughout the booklet, we use “menopause” broadly to include perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause, unless otherwise specified.

This resource was developed with input from lung transplant patients to help reflect real experiences and the questions that can arise around menopause and transplant. We extend our sincere thanks to Kyllie and Wendy, whose insights and thoughtful feedback helped shape this booklet.

📥 Download your free copy below:
https://www.rfr.bz/feb4890e2

13/08/2026

Heading into a clinic appointment with a clear plan completely changes the dynamic of your care. When you feel organised, it is much easier to partner effectively with your medical team and play an active role in your own care.

Some people find it helpful to start documenting questions during the week prior, keeping a running list of thoughts as they pop up so nothing gets missed on the day.🗒️
With the reality of everyone's post-transplant routine varying, this might look like bringing along recent home tracking notes, or simply noting down any general patterns you have observed. (Of course, if any new symptoms ever pop up, flagging those with your medical team as they arise is always the safest path!).

When you are in the appointment, clarifying key information by repeating instructions back to your doctor is a good way to ensure you understand the plan going forward.

Having a caregiver or support person along to help record those notes can also be a great comfort, especially in those high-information stages of the journey when there is so much to learn and process together.💬

Now it's over to you. Is there a routine or habit that helps you or your family feel more organised before a clinic day?
Feel free to share your thoughts below!👇

05/08/2026

You never truly walk alone after a lung transplant. In fact, translational research shows that the connection between a recipient and their donor is even deeper than we can see on the surface.

There is a beautiful biological phenomenon called microchimerism. Put simply, it means that following surgery, small populations of donor cells and DNA can sometimes be detected active and alive inside the recipient's new lungs for varying periods of time.🧬

It isn't just about an organ doing its job, it means a literal, living piece of another human being's identity has blended with yours to help you breathe. For many, it highlights a profound, deeply intertwined connection to the organ donors and donor families who give the ultimate gift of life.

👇To our community:
What does this unique connection mean to you? If you are a caregiver or supporter, how does it feel to witness this profound legacy? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below.

Disclaimer: For educational purposes only. Every journey is unique; please always follow the specific medical advice provided by your transplant team.

04/08/2026

Join 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁 - a free community day in Sydney celebrating 60+ years of transplantation in Australia.

𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
ICC, Darling Harbour, Sydney

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 | 𝟭𝟬.𝟬𝟬𝗮𝗺-𝟭.𝟬𝟬𝗽𝗺
Hear from transplant experts and people with lived experience as they share the latest advances, practical insights and perspectives from across the transplant journey.

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 | 𝟭.𝟭𝟱𝗽𝗺-𝟮.𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺
A 1.5km community walk around Darling Harbour and across Pyrmont Bridge, honouring donors and their families, recognising living donors, celebrating recipients and promoting donor registration.

𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆 | 𝟯.𝟬𝟬𝗽𝗺-𝟰.𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺

Everyone touched by organ and tissue donation and transplantation is welcome - including recipients, people waiting, donor families, carers, living donors, healthcare professionals, researchers and supporters.

Registration is essential: https://www.rfr.bz/fd61ad3b6

02/08/2026

We are so inspired by Melissa (from our peer support group) and fellow lung recipient Claire, who will be competing next month at the Australian Transplant Games in Launceston! 🏃‍♀️⛳

Melissa is taking on athletics and Claire is competing in golf. We cannot wait to follow their progress and cheer them on! 📣

It was fantastic to see them alongside Claire’s mum, Paula, at the Parliament of Victoria for a special DonateLife Week afternoon tea hosted by Transplant Australia.

Lung recipients Claire and Melissa with Claire's mum Paula

26/07/2026

This DonateLife Week, we are urging our community to help change the timeline for the 1,800 Australians actively waiting for a life-saving transplant.

At the Lungitude Foundation, we see firsthand how a second chance at life changes everything.

It takes just 60 seconds to register online, but your family's consent is always needed for a transplant to proceed. Having that quick chat today can remove any doubt.

Head to donatelife.gov.au/register right now to sign up, then read how a double lung transplant gave Ailish a second chance to breathe easy at: donatelife.gov.au/donation-stories/ailish-had-double-lung-transplant

• 🔗 Register in 1 minute: donatelife.gov.au/register
• 🗣️ Have the chat with your family today.

21/07/2026

Before a lung transplant, the daily focus can simply be on breathing. Afterwards, a whole new world of possibilities may open up.

From the bedside anchors that got you through the waitlist, to the practical realities of recovery, the transformation can be extraordinary.

We want to hear from our community. Whether you are a transplant recipient, a caregiver or a family member: What's something that is possible now that wasn’t before transplant?

Share your 'new possibility' in the comments below! 👇

16/07/2026

📢 Introducing the Lungitude Foundation Self-Advocacy Series

We're proud to launch Navigating Transplant: A Self-Advocacy Series — a new collection of resources designed to help people affected by lung transplantation feel more informed, prepared and confident when talking with their healthcare team.

The first booklet in the series, Rejection After Transplant, focuses on helping recipients and their families navigate conversations about rejection with their transplant team.

Note: This booklet is not medical advice and should not replace advice from your transplant team. Your transplant team should always be your first point of contact for questions about your health, symptoms or treatment. Instead, this resource has been designed to help you prepare for those conversations and consider what questions you may wish to ask.

Hearing the word 'rejection' after a lung transplant can feel overwhelming.

Many people tell us they leave appointments remembering only part of what was discussed or aren't sure what questions to ask next.

That's why we've created this first booklet to help lung transplant recipients and their families:

✔ Feel more confident asking questions
✔ Better understand conversations with their transplant team
✔ Recognise common terms they may hear
✔ Prepare for discussions about tests, treatment and ongoing care
✔ Find support for themselves and their families

This resource was developed in collaboration with lung transplant patients to help ensure it reflects real experiences and the questions people often have after transplant. We extend our sincere thanks to Jane, Giulia and Wendy, whose insights and thoughtful feedback helped shape this first booklet.

📥 Download your free copy below:
https://www.rfr.bz/f1452f46c

14/07/2026

When we talk about the impact of a lung transplant, we often focus on the physical transformation from pre-to-post surgery. But the emotional and mental shift that happens inside the hospital room can be just as profound.

During those intense post-op days, patients are suddenly tasked with bridging the gap between their pre-transplant wait and their post-transplant future.

To survive the gruelling early days of recovery, it’s often the small, personal "anchors" at the bedside that can make a difference:

• The Pre-Transplant Hope: A photo of family, grandkids, or pets—representing the life and moments they were fighting to get back to while on the waitlist.

• The Post-Transplant Anchor: A specific song, playlist, or view from the window that brings calm and focus during difficult physio sessions or painful milestones.

These items are more than just decorations. They are the visual and mental lifelines that carry patients directly from the old reality into the new one.

Whether you are a recipient, caregiver, or currently waiting:

What was the image, song, or token that helped you bridge the gap from pre-to-post transplant during hospital recovery?

👇 Tell us your story in the comments.