Melissa Benoit gave smiles and shed tears, but most of all she offered thanks.
Surrounded by her family who gave unwavering support and members of the medical team who saved her life, the woman at the centre of a world-first procedure that saw her kept alive for six days without lungs before a successful transplant, paid tribute to all who made this day possible.
"From the bottom of my heart, I have to thank the team, my donor and my family," Melissa, now 33, told a news conference yesterday at Toronto General Hospital detailing the procedure of last spring.
"They pulled me back from the dead."
Melissa, her family and some members of the surgical team that saved her life and made medical history, spent about 90 minutes detailing the procedure and the aftermath of removing both of her infected lungs for six days, allowing her to recover enough to receive a double-lung transplant.
Here are some of the highlights of the news conference:
"It was clear to everybody that this would be her only chance."
"I'm so happy to see you've opened a new chapter of life and you've actually created history. Thank you for your courage."
"I still don't believe what happened. It feels very surreal."
"It's been an amazing thing to go through and to see her improve."
"It's a fantastic day."
