A Deal of a Lifetime Ally Thadeus-Zappe, 26, knew her life would change once she received a double lung transplant. But she did not expect to become a hometown celebrity after her appearance on a popular game show just 11 weeks after her transplant. Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic lung disease, at 16 months, Ally always knew she would need a transplant. But that knowledge still did not prepare her for the day her name was added to the national transplant waiting list. It was June 21, 2005 and she was unaware of the excruciating seven-month wait ahead. During that time, she resided at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, giving up precious time with husband James and four-year-old daughter Olivia.

Ally received her transplant January 29, 2006 at Cleveland Clinic. Just three weeks after transplant, she was interviewed by FOX 8’s Wayne Dawson as part of the “Neighborhood: The Gift of Life” program. A few weeks later, she auditioned to be a contestant on NBC’s hit game show “Deal or No Deal.” On April 1, she received a call that would send her to Hollywood. It was a whirlwind month that cumulated with a premiere party at Dave & Buster’s celebrating her $124,000 winnings and a tour of local media promoting organ and tissue donation. “I have my life back,” says Ally, “a life with my husband and daughter, a life that wouldn’t have been possible without an organ donor. I am very, very grateful.” Currently, nearly 100,000 men, women and children in the United States and thousands in Ohio are waiting for a life-saving transplant. You can become a registered organ donor right now or by saying “yes” when renewing your driver license or state ID at the BMV.