“There’s something I have to tell you.”

When Mr. Eric Bauer, English teacher, heard those words from his date back in 1999, he never would’ve guessed what would come next.

Oh no, he’d thought. What could be wrong?

They’d gone out a few times already. Things were good. But she had a story, and it was time for him to know.

Kay had cystic fibrosis. And in March of ‘98, she found herself on the way to Froedtert Hospital to receive a double lung transplant.

Her dad was against it. He was against it from the start, and as they drove to Froedtert, he still was, since there was always a chance she wouldn’t come out of it. But she watched what happened to her older brother and sister. She saw how it changed their bodies, making each day a little harder.

Until eventually, they had no days left.

She’d never thought about growing older. She’d never thought about getting married, having kids, building a family. But she had a certain hope in the back of her mind to extend her life as far as possible, to do as much as she could.

So she did. Post-operation, she got released from the hospital and into the world. She traveled to Europe. She competed in the Transplant Olympics in the 200-meter dash. “Attitude is everything,” she says. “Enjoy what you have.”

And in the mix of it all, in January of ‘99, she met Mr. Bauer.

Nearly 20 years later, and it still affects their life today. Traveling means packing a bag full of medication. A cold means going through the next 24 hours wondering if it’ll get worse.

But it also made them worry about the little things a bit less. And appreciate every day a bit more.