The Call That Changed Everything

“I was fortunate enough to receive the call that not everyone does.” 

For Danville City Councilman and former Virginia Delegate Danny Marshall, that sentence carries a lifetime of meaning. 

Marshall has lived with pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that scars the lungs and gradually makes breathing harder and harder. It’s also a disease that has impacted his family. His father died from pulmonary fibrosis in 2002, becoming the tenth member of the family to lose their life to it. 

When Marshall was diagnosed, doctors were direct: it wasn’t a question of if he would need a lung transplant, but when. 

He did everything he could to stay healthy. He exercised, followed medical advice, and tried to remain active. But pulmonary fibrosis isn’t something you can outrun. 

In 2023, his health took a serious turn. Repeated bouts of pneumonia and a hospitalization in Richmond during the General Assembly session made it clear that his condition was worsening. Eventually, doctors confirmed that he needed a left lung transplant. 

Then came the call. 

“The ring came just after midnight,” Marshall said. “After months of waiting for a lung transplant, I was told a donor match had finally been found. By sunrise, I was in surgery at Duke University Hospital preparing for the operation that would save my life.” 

The surgery was life-changing. But what affected him most came afterward. 

“As I recovered, I began reading stories from patients who never received the organ they needed in time,” he said. “Some waited months or years, hoping for the same phone call I received. For many, it never came. Those stories stay with me.” 

Today, Marshall is back to walking daily, serving on Danville City Council, and spending time with his family, and it’s all because a stranger gave him a second chance at life. 

The experience changed how he views time, family, and community. It also changed how he talks about organ donation. 

Marshall now proudly displays Donate Life messages on his vehicles, which often sparks conversations with people across Virginia and North Carolina. 

“I find most people are not opposed to organ donation, they simply have questions, and they deserve honest answers,” he said. “Take a few minutes to learn more, talk with your family and make an informed decision. Your conversation and choice could one day save someone’s parent, spouse or child. It saved me.”