Brett

Brett Bowman

Brett Bowman, from Woodhaven, Mich., was born with cystic fibrosis. Growing up he was in and out of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. He lost his younger brother Blake to the disease in 2015.  

As he got older, he didn’t let it slow him down. He played baseball and football and had dreams of being a commercial pilot. Three years after graduating high school, Brett started to get sicker.  

In 2019, just after ringing in the new year, Brett’s doctors said he needed a transplant. After months of testing and going through the process, he was officially on the waiting list for a double lung transplant in July 2019.  

On August 8th, he received the call that he had been waiting for. He was going to receive his new lungs.   

While Brett’s transplant was a success, an “extraordinary rare infection” attacked Brett’s eyes, resulting in total blindness. It was a bacteria that caused the condition from Brett’s original lungs, known as panophthalmitis. To remove the infection, they had to remove his eyes.  

Once again, Brett didn’t let this slow him down. He started therapy. He learned how to use a cane and has help from his seeing eye dog named Legacy. He now also has prosthetics that look like his real eyes.  

Through it all, Brett was grateful to breathe again, thanks to his generous donor Art. 

Art

Art was a husband, father and grandfather from West Michigan. He saved two lives that day, donating his lungs and his liver. Six months following Brett’s transplant, Art’s family reached out.  

They met in person for the first time the following summer and have continued to stay connected through Zoom calls and in-person meetings.  

Thanks to Art’s selfless decision, Brett can breathe again. He has also made it his mission to help others waiting for that lifesaving organ transplant. He’s joined online communities for double lung transplant recipients and has made great friends, including Scott, a grandfather from Northern Michigan who also received his transplant around the same time.  

Scott Weston

Scott is a teacher who taught Brett’s cousin. When Brett received his transplant, his cousin had shared the news on social media. The two recipients soon connected.  

Today, Scott and Brett meet up whenever Scott comes to visit his family. They help each other through the ups and downs and have even reached out to other recipients and those waiting to share their experiences.