A 10-year-old girl has successfully received a new set of ADULT lungs after a nationwide appeal by her parents.
Sarah Murnaghan suffers with cystic fibrosis and had been waiting for a lung transplant for 18 months.
Her plight sparked a national debate in the U.S. over organ transplant policies, which until now barred children younger than 12 from the adult waiting list.
Lung transplants are the most difficult of organ transplants, and children fare worse than adults, which was one reason for the existing policy.
Last week, the Murnaghans scored a major victory when a judge ordered the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to add Sarah, from Pennsylvania, to the list for adult lungs.
Then yesterday, Sarah's mother, Janet Ruddock Murnaghan, shared with her Facebook followers that the family were notified that a set of lungs has become available for transplant.
Last night, she said her daughter was out of surgery after the six-hour operation and that doctors are 'very pleased with both her progress during the procedure and her prognosis for recovery.'
Surgeons had no challenges re-sizing or transplanting the lungs.
Now out of surgery, Sarah is settling into an intensive care unit - the beginning of her recovery.
"We expect it will be a long road, but we're not going for easy, we're going for possible," Sarah's mother wrote on Facebook.
"And an organ donor has made this possible for her."
She added: "God is great! He moved the mountain! Sarah got THE CALL.
"Please pray for Sarah's donor, her HERO, who has given her the gift of life.
"Please pray for Sarah and her surgical team and our whole family! We are overwhelmed with emotions!!!! Thank you to all of you for the unending support.
"Today is the start of Sarah's new beginning and new life!"