The name ‘Doubletake’ plays on the definition of the word ‘double take’ as defined by Merriam-Webster as:

“a delayed reaction to a surprising or significant situation after an initial failure to notice anything unusual — usually used in the phrase do a double take.”

You don’t always know what someone has gone through, sometimes you need to take a second look.

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I was diagnosed with a fatal lung disease, bronchiolitis obliterans, less than a year after I was married to my best friend, Sam. He was in Germany for work and I was getting ready to meet him for a trip around Europe. I went in for a regular appointment with my primary doctor who immediately sent me to the emergency department for assessment after seeing my oxygen saturation levels. I had been having difficulty breathing, but we could not have imagined it was to this extent. Two years later, I was rushed into the hospital with acute pneumonia, not quite conscious, and put on a ventilator for a few days after which it was determined that my next best treatment would be a double lung transplant. I waited to receive the call, meaning a match had come in, on the transplant list for about a year and a half when my right lung collapsed. I was already at 14% lung function before the collapse. A week in the hospital later, I received the call for my first double lung transplant. 

This allowed me to walk my dogs again, do my laundry, go visit with my parents, and more. It gave me my life back. 

The experience I went through, now twice, shifted my perspective on what is important in life. I wanted to find a way to give back, and quickly realized that while the medical care was extraordinary, the human experience surrounding transplant was lacking. It was hard for me to find real-life stories from transplant recipients that didn’t end up swarmed by overly opinionated comments, or find support on “how to” navigate my life – both pre- and post-transplant. This transplant not only impacted me, but also my husband, Sam, and my family. After my second double lung transplant, it was clear to me that I needed to build a community around transplant focusing on how to best support transplant patients and their caregivers – to share my experience and findings through my own experience and information I’ve consumed along the way. 

This is what drove me to my mission – simple, but deeply personal: to support and assist transplant patients and their caregivers before, during, and after transplant—through practical resources, shared lived experience, and a community built by those who have walked the same path.

With Doubletake, our support kits offer comfort, tools for communication, and small but meaningful reminders that someone cares. Through shared real-world experiences, we provide insight that only fellow patients and caregivers can offer—helping others feel less alone and more empowered. And through our community, we create space for connection, understanding, and hope among people who truly understand what this journey demands.

This organization was built on the belief that survival is not the only goal—quality of life and connection matter too. Every kit assembled, every resource shared, and every story exchanged is rooted in compassion and the understanding that healing extends far beyond the operating room.

To our patients and caregivers: you are not alone.
To our supporters and partners: thank you for walking beside us!