INDIANAPOLIS -- Don and Krystal Smith became friends when they were both in pulmonary rehab together.
Don's wife, Janet, came with him to his appointments. Unfortunately, he lost Janet on Christmas Eve in 2015.
Then, on Easter Sunday 2016, Don got called for his transplant. Krystal was still waiting for hers.
She was sick for about three-and-a-half years, and was in out of the hospital 35 times, before she got her new lungs.
"I would say I just figured the longer I wait the better lungs I will get. God must have a really good pair of lungs for me," said Krystal.
In August 2016, Krystal got called for a double lung transplant... with her friend Don at her side.
"And Don was very encouraging, and I was in touch with him quite a bit. Because nobody really understood what was going on or how I felt, or what I was going through, and I know that he did," said Krystal.
The whole time, his family was encouraging him to meet someone.
"My sister in law told me 'You need to run around these other churches and find a lady.' I said I am not running around chasing women. If the good lord wants me to have a lady, a woman, he will put one in front of me, he will. And he did, it was Krystal," said Don.
Don proposed to Krystal around Christmas 2016, right where their relationship started at pulmonary rehab.
"I went in, and they were like sit down. And all these people kept coming and coming. Then don said he had to go to the bathroom, and he was gone! He came back and he had a lot of roses, and he had the ring in his pocket," said Krystal.
The couple say they understand each others' journeys better than anyone else could.
Krystal says Don treats her better than anyone else has. He says his favorite thing about about her is... everything
