George Keulen

Big Breath In George Keulen

Big Breath In follows the ups and fateful downs of living with cystic fibrosis (CF), the journey to receiving a double lung transplant, and the hope of a second chance at life that transplant brings. Documenting the daily struggle of living with CF, George outlines both CF's deadly consequences and how it works. Despite this, he stresses that people with CF are like everyone else, just trying to navigate the unpredictability of regular life, but through a CF lens.

Documenting George's declining health, culminating in being wait-listed for a double lung transplant, Big Breath In speaks to what it's like to live with significantly decreased lung function, and what the process is to be wait-listed. George reveals his own struggle in trying to accept the "new normals" that his fragile health brought, and his need to let go of his "old life" and accept the new life he finds himself living. Over a year and a half later, perilously close to death, George kept waiting for a phone call that might not come in time. When a match is finally found, the longest wait of his life begins, complete with giant waves of hope and despair.

In addition to writing about his surgery and immediate recovery in hospital, he also writes about other character-forming events, including the death of his brother, and meeting, dating, and marrying his wife. His experiences shaped him in incredible ways and helped him fight for his second chance at life.