Karla was born as a twin in El Salvador in 1989. Her medical experiences began when she was diagnosed with asthma as six months old. Karla struggled with school before moving to the USA in 1999. She felt normal from 10-15 years old but was then diagnosed with bronchiectasis after collapsing in 2006 and was told she needed a transplant.
Before she received her double lung transplant in 2014, Karla faced many flare ups with pneumothorax (2008-2012) and pleurodesis (2012), which could have prevented her eligibility for a transplant. Her first rejection episode took place in 2016 prior to a gastric bypass surgery that same year. With all her medical struggles, Karla did not want to go back on the list. Three years later, Karla experienced a heart attack in June of 2019. Her second transplant took place the very next month. Although she has been feeling healthier, she was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2021.
Nowadays, Karla enjoys her time with her two fur babies and husband, who has been by her side for almost eleven years. They were married on Christmas Day in 2018. "I can't thank my two donors and their families enough. I appreciate that they honor their loved one's wishes, although I know it couldn't have been easy."
