NILES — There was a time in LuAnn Unger’s life when she could not get a full breath of air without the help of an oxygen tank.

Unger, a Niles Native who once loved taking long walks around Barron Lake and riding motorcycles, had to severely change her lifestyle when she was diagnosed with the genetic condition called Alpha-1.This caused her to suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema and reduced her lung function to less than 30 percent.

With this as her fate, Unger probably would not have ever believed that she would one day be about to embark on a two-day, 105-mile bike ride across Massachusetts. But thanks to a double lung transplant, Unger has left her oxygen tank behind and has a new lease on life.

Now, the 55-year-old is hoping to help others with the same condition by raising money for Alpha-1 research during an Escape to the Cape bike ride from Sept. 28 to 30 in Massachusetts. To help, people can donate to the cause by visiting give.alpha1.org. They can donate to her team, Team Alpha, by clicking the donate button and clicking her name. Unger is hoping to raise at least $2,500 for the cause. She must raise at least $600 to participate.

Facing the unknown

Unger was not aware that she had Alpha-1 for most of her life. For a number of years, she was a smoker, which doctors believe triggered the symptoms, which nearly halted her life.

Unger said she began notice difficulties breathing in 2006. At first it did not seem that bad, she said, but eventually her routine walks around Barron Lake started to leave her gasping for breath and neither over the counter sprays or inhalers seemed to help.

In 2014, a test revealed that Unger had Alpha-1. People who suffer from Alpha-1 can have different symptoms. Unger, who has the ZZ gene, suffered from lung disorders and had to be on supplemental oxygen. She was sent to pulmonary rehabilitation for five months, where she awaited a double lung transplant. In February 2017, Unger got a new set of lungs.

Unger only knows the first name of her donor, Jason. Recently she has been in contact with Jason’s family through a donor organization and hopes to meet his family to learn more about him. Jason’s wife contacted Unger and sent him a picture of the man who saved her life.

“When I received it, I got goosebumps,” Unger said. “I could put a picture to my donor. I knew it was a male, 43, from central Indiana. That’s all I knew.”

Unger keeps the picture in a gold-colored frame. When she embarks this fall on her journey, she said she will have Jason and his family in her mind.

“What words do I use to thank this person or thank [his] family for giving me a second chance at life!” Unger said. “He’s the reason I can do anything. He gave me my life back. I was close to death, when you have about 20-percent lung function, you are going downhill.”

A new chance

Unger’s lungs are still vulnerable. When she shops at the grocery store, she has to wear a protective mask. But this has not deterred her from taking on a whole new set of physical challenges. In June this year, Unger biked 500 miles throughout the month for the Great Cycle Challenge. Through the challenge, Unger raised $2,500 to fight children’s cancer. She felt it was good warm up for the Escape to the Cape.

Since her lung transplant, Unger has volunteered her time to help others awaiting new lungs. She visits Memorial Hospital in South Bend, where she talks with them and tries to give them confidence about the procedure and that they too can get their life back.

Unger and her husband Ronald said they are looking forward to riding for the cause during the Escape to the Cape. They have been practicing by riding their bikes along the Indiana-Michigan River Valley Trail regularly.

For Unger, completing the ride will mean more than a physical feat of strength. 

“[It would] be awesome,” she said. “A goal accomplished.”