Dr. Joel Cooper (L) and Merv Sheppard (me). This will surely be one of my all time favorite pictures. It was like a dream meeting Dr. Cooper who has been such a hero of mine because of his research in lung transplantion that led to the very first successful lung transplant in the world. He is now based in St. Louis, MO but back then was director of the Lung Transplant Program at Toronto General Hospital where his original research that led to the first successful transplant was done. I hope I don't sound too lavish with my praise but I can't help being enthusiastic——Dr. Shaf Keshavjee and his team at Toronto General Hospital gave me a life-saving lung transplant in April of 2002——and I'm exploiting my rebirth to the fullest by being an advocate for transplant research and organ donation awareness.