Lung transplant recipient's kindness honoured
Double lung transplant recipient Hélène Campbell has used her notoriety to raise organ donor awareness and on Wednesday the 26-year-old was honoured with United Way's Community Builder Award.
Hot off her appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where Campbell danced with the talk show host and used the opportunity to promote the importance of organ donations, the Ottawa woman said she was surprised to be honoured in such a way and especially during Kindness Week.
Campbell's own road to recovery started with a very generous act of kindness in the form of a new set of lungs from a stranger, and she has made it her mission to raise awareness about organ donation ever since.
"It's just really inspiring to know that the community feels that I've given back to the community that has built me up into who I am today," said Campbell. "So I'm very encouraged and want to encourage people to keep giving."
It is in that spirit that twins Raven and Phoenix Miller, who were on hand for the award ceremony, were inspired to raise nearly $8,000 for charity.
"She's just a very big role model and nice," said Phoenix.
