SAN ANTONIO – A decorated career in the military came to an early end for Debra Aparicio. She had just been stationed in Germany when should couldn't take a deep breath.
"When I started having those symptoms I went to the doctor and that's when our lives changed in a second," Aparicio said.
Aparicio was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which is the hardening of the lungs.
"It's hard to talk, it's hard to eat, anything because you can't breathe," Aparicio said.
In October 2004, she was put on a transplant list.
Doctors did not think she would make it to January, but on Dec. 22, 2004, she received a call that they had a lung donor.
The lung came from a 16-year-old boy named Kevin, who had died in a car accident.
There is not a day that goes by that Aparicio does not think of Kevin and his family.
"Words can not explain the gratitude that I feel for that family," Aparicio said.
Now, 11 1/2 years later, she is hoping her story will encourage others to donate.
There are a couple of ways to get on the official state registry. One way is signing up at donatelife.org, or you can agree to be a donor when renewing your license or Texas vehicle registration.