BACK
BACK >>
BACK >> NOW WITH A STORY THAT'S ALL NEW TONIGHT AND 1 SO MANY OF
YOU HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING CLOSELY
FOR MONTHS AT JUST 18 YEARS OLD
HANNAH GETZ HAS BEEN TO
>> AND BACK A DOUBLE LUNG
TRANSPLANT ROBBING THE ISLE OF
WIGHT TEEN OF TIME HANGING OUT
WITH FRIENDS AND THE CHANCE TO
START COLLEGE THIS FALL DESPITE
A FEW SETBACKS. TONIGHT'S
UPDATE IS A POSITIVE 1 FOR THE
FIRST TIME HANNAH IS TALKING
ABOUT HIS JOURNEY
>> HER JOURNEY. I RECENTLY
TRAVELED TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA
TO TALK TO HANNAH AND IT'S A
STORY YOU'LL SEE ONLY ON
13 NEWS NOW
>> IN RIPPED JEANS AND A
GODFATHER'S SWEATSHIRT. HER
ARMS REACHING FOR THE SKY.
HANNAH GETS IS DETERMINED
ROCKER ROAD TO RECOVERY
>> SEEING THE LIGHT AT THE END
OF THE TUNNEL FOR PLAY I'LL BE
ABLE TO DO BECAUSE I'VE BEEN
SEEING IMPROVEMENTS EVERY DAY.
>> SOME VERY DARK DAYS FOR
HANNAH BEGAN IN JUNE. SHORTLY
AFTER SHE GRADUATED FROM
SMITHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL A
CARIBBEAN CRUISE WITH FAMILY
WAS PLANNED TO CELEBRATE TOWARD
THE END OF THE TRIP. HANNAH
BECAME ILL AT C H K D SHE WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH FLU AND
PNEUMONIA HER LUNGS FILLED WITH
FLUID. HANNAH WOULD BATTLE
SEPSIS AND BLOOD CLOTS HER
CONDITION COMPLICATED BY HER
CYSTIC FIBROSIS
>> BUT SHE WAS SO ILL SHE WAS
RUSHED TO A HOSPITAL IN
NORTHERN VIRGINIA TO WAIT FOR A
DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT. MUCH OF
IT WAS A BLUR SHE SAYS.
>> I REMEMBER HELPFUL PIECE I
CAN REMEMBER PEOPLE TALKING AND
I COULD SEE THAT MY EYES WERE
CLOSED.
>> DOCTORS WOULD MAKE A RARE
DECISION TO REMOVE HANNAH'S
LUNGS AND LET A MACHINE BREATHE
FOR HER 4 DAYS LATER. A DONOR
WAS FOUND HANNAH WOULD SPEND 3
WEEKS IN A MEDICALLY INDUCED
COMA
>> NO MERCY. BABY THAT
AMAZING. WHAT WAS
>> IT LIKE FOR YOU ON YOUR
FINALLY TOOK SOME OF THOSE
FIRST DEEP BREATHS WITH YOUR
NEW LIFE. WELL
>> HER BY IT WAS GOOD FEELING
JUST TO KNOW THAT I HAVE THESE
AND I CAN BREATHE. RECENTLY
>> HANNAH SAID GOODBYE TO HER
DOCTORS AND NURSES INOVA
HOSPITAL AT THE RONALD MCDONALD
HOUSE IN FALLS CHURCH. SHE WILL
WORK TO STRENGTHEN HER NEW
LUNGS AND HER MUSCLES AND
SHARPEN HER MEMORY BEFORE
HEADING HOME
>> YOU YOU LEARN ABOUT
YOURSELF THIS I'VE LEARNED THAT
I'M A LOT STRONGER THAN I
THOUGHT I WAS AND I LEARNED
THAT A DO MORE THINGS I WANT TO
EXPLORE TRAVEL AND LIVE LIFE
>> JUST A BIT ON THE EDGE HOW
THE SKYDIVING SKYDIVE DOES YOUR
MOM KNOW ABOUT THIS. YEAH
>> SHE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO
CONTINUE PLAYING SOCCER AND THE
TRANSPLANT OLYMPICS AND SOMEDAY
BE A TRAUMA NURSE
>> WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR
STRENGTH. WELL FIRST THEN
MYSELF I FIND STRENGTH AND THEN
JUST EVERYONE ROOTING FOR ME
BACK HOME. AND THIS IS
ENCOURAGING YOU KNOW SO I THINK
I WANTED TO BE STRONG FOR THEM
TOO BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING SO
MUCH FOR ME. OH MY GOODNESS.
FOR ALL SHE'S BEEN THROUGH THE
SURGERIES
>> AND THE UNCERTAINTY HANNAH
SAYS SHE'S STILL THE SAME
POSITIVE PERSON SHE ALWAYS WAS
YOU KNOW. AS FOR WHETHER SHE
SEES HERSELF AS AN INSPIRATION
TO OTHERS HANNAH SAYS SHE'S
RAISED AWARENESS ABOUT CYSTIC
FIBROSIS. THAT'S A GOOD THING.
PITTSBURGH VERY. THANK YOU. IF
HER STORIES MOVE PEOPLE TO
BECOME ORGAN DONORS EVEN
>> BETTER PEOPLE ARE SO
THANKFUL BEYOND WORDS YOU KNOW.
THERE'S NO WAY TO THANK SOMEONE
THAT GIVES YOU LIFE. YOU KNOW
AND IT'S JUST A GREAT THING
>>
>> HANNAH HAS BEEN TAKEN BACK
TO THE HOSPITAL TONIGHT FOR
SOME ISSUES BUT HOPEFULLY JUST
FOR A FEW DAYS. SHE TOLD ME SHE
WANTS TO BE HOME FOR HALLOWEEN
AT ABOUT A COSTUME SHE HAS
PLANNED. I