Couple Falls In Love While Recovering From Heart And Lung Transplants

May 11, 2022

Bobby Channell was told by doctors in 2003 that he only had months to live. Over the years, they installed a defibrillator, a pacemaker and other devices to keep his heart pumping.

"Until Jan. 13, when I finally got my heart," Bobby said.

In the months before and since his transplant, Bobby stayed at Nora's Home -- a place for organ transplant patients and their families to stay in Houston, TX.

"My family was there with me through the whole thing," Bobby said. "And faith."

Not just the spiritual kind.

Bobby and Faith / KHOU.com

Faith Crouch was born with cystic fibrosis. After six years of being added to and dropped from three different transplant lists, Faith got new lungs in September 2020.

Faith ended up coming to Nora's home and lived across the hall from Bobby.

"The first time I saw Faith, I went and told my mother. I said, 'There's this girl here and she's really cute'," remembered Bobby, prompting a giggle from Faith.

Bobby and Faith / KHOU.com

Bobby and Faith started dating soon after.

"We definitely want to be together," Bobby said.

Faith nodded, adding, "It gets really hard to not be together now."

Bobby and Faith / KHOU.com

More than 1,400 families have stayed at Nora's Home during their transplant journey.

The nonprofit has served over 10,000 meals while also creating a network for fellowship, interaction, resources and emotional support since opening its doors in 2013.