About the Host
Jenny McFarlane received her gift of a double lung transplant on September 6, 2018, due to Cystic Fibrosis. Becoming the host of a podcast was the farthest thing from her mind during the time. It wasn't until her husband, Kevin, started his own podcast that she began thinking of creating this one.
Growing up with Cystic Fibrosis was of course challenging, but it never kept Jenny from living life and pushing to achieve her dreams.
In 2014, Jeny was diagnosed with Lupus which she believed contributed to her health declining rapidly. When her doctors started talking about transplant, Jenny and her husband had to make a tough decision to move to Houston, TX, to be closer to the transplant center she was going to.
After moving to Houston, it wasn't long before Jenny was put on the transplant list and after only 5 days, she got "The Call" to receive her gift.
The surgery and recovery went amazingly and Jenny had to stay in the hospital for only 11 days.
Returning back to "normal" life was (and still is) a gift every day. Every day Jenny got to experience some things that were new to her but normal to everyone else. Walking and running without getting out of breath, laying back in a bath relaxing and still having the ability to breathe, laughing deeply, hiking, working full time, and so much more.
After receiving her gift, Jenny has always felt that it was important to do something to give back to her community, starting with this podcast. This podcast started in November of 2019, and while she loves doing it, Jenny felt like she needed to do more. She has since received a certification in personal training and offers personal training to transplant recipients.
Helping transplant recipients get stronger before transplant and regain their strength after transplant is something Jenny found that she has a great passion for. She has started her own fitness business working with transplant recipients.
In addition to the Pre to Post Fitness business, Jenny has started a nonprofit organization geared to helping pre and post-transplant recipients and their families. While this foundation is still in the beginning stages, Jenny hopes to have it up and running by the end of the summer.
12 hours post-surgery
Jenny wanted to create this podcast for people who are in the transplant world. She felt like if there was a podcast similar to this one to listen to before her transplant, she would have been more educated and more inspired going into it.
Jenny always says, "There is always the science behind transplant. Published facts you can read about. But until you hear from someone who's been through it, you can't really grasp what it is."
This podcast has stories of hope; stories of tragedy; and stories with authentic experiences that you won't hear in the doctor's office.
"Transplant isn't easy. It can be the hardest and most challenging thing a person goes through, but for the recipients who have been on this show, they are still alive to be able to tell their story.