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Double lung transplant recipient Hélène Campbell dances as she continues recovery

It's been a long road to recovery for Hélène Campbell, who received new lungs from a donor on April 6, but the success of her recovery has given her something to dance about.

Campbell said that her new lungs, which are nicknamed "gratitude" — "attitude with a little grr," in her words — have helped her do many of the things she used to take for granted, like showering standing up.

She showed off just how far along she is on her road to recovery at a news conference today, where she addressed the public for the first time since receiving her new lungs.

Campbell explains her signature dance move's origin beginning at 4:26 in the video, and you can see her show off her skills with the help of her parents and doctors around 5:50:


Campbell was also recognized this week with a Diamond Jubilee medal from Prime Minister Stephen Harper for her campaign to raise organ donation awareness. The 21-year-old has been the driving force behind a social media campaign, which caught the attention of Justin Bieber and fellow dance enthusiast Ellen DeGeneres.

According to CBC, the Trillium Gift of Life Network in Ontario credits Campbell with a recent spike in new organ donation registrations, jumping from 350 a week to 3,000.