Lindsee Simpson has always been a fighter.

Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth, the 17-year-old also deals with diabetes and Arnold-Chiari malformation, a brain defect that required two surgeries.

She fought through her years at Garden Spot High School, which were largely defined by constant exhaustion, frequent absences and even more frequent hospital visits, as she struggled to breathe through clogged lungs.

But now her fight is easier, thanks to a new pair of lungs.

"It is so amazing," said Simpson, of Mohnton. "I wake up thinking, 'Did I really deserve this?' "

The newly energized Simpson has made an "incredible recovery" since her double-lung transplant at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in April, according to her mother, Cindy Good.

The organs, from an anonymous donor in Michigan, came to Simpson after a near-fatal bout with double-lung pneumonia qualified her for a transplant list in February.

Previously, she had been confined to a hospital bed, tethered to oxygen and feeding tubes for weeks.

Three months after receiving her new organs, Simpson's life has been transformed. She is now enjoying running, strength training, sleepovers with friends and eating — a lot.

She feeds a persistent sweet tooth by eating candy and ice cream throughout the day, as well as large, healthy meals in an effort to put weight on her lean 4-foot, 11-inch frame.

The petite Simpson, who half-joked with surgeons about also receiving knee extensions and breast implants during her surgery, said embracing the foreign lungs has been more of an emotional challenge than a physical one.

"It hurt me so bad that someone had to die and I was living," Simpson said. "It's definitely a bittersweet situation."

To make the most of what she calls her "45th chance" at life, Simpson has set a "long-long-term goal" of raising funds for cystic fibrosis patients in Ireland, where she said patients often have to travel elsewhere for transplant surgeries.

"Lots and lots of people have (cystic fibrosis) in Ireland. They have nationalized health care and don't get all the treatment they need," Simpson said. "I want to try to set up a foundation to help them, more so with money than anything political."

And back home, Simpson is already making a difference. Although framed senior pictures around her living room feature a smiling teen with long black hair, Simpson now sports a chin-length coif after donating her hair to Locks of Love.

She also faithfully wears a pink bracelet to garner support for the Breathe for Lindsee Simpson fund, and is working to create an online forum for cystic fibrosis patients and others interested in the disease.

"I always want to help people," Simpson said.

She plans to dedicate her professional life to helping as well, looking to a career in genetics since she can't fulfill her dream of being a doctor or nurse.

"I'd be so prone to so many germs and infections," she explained.

These days, she also has to work to shield her new lungs from unwanted germs.

She wears a mask on the infrequent occasions she goes out in public, stays at least three feet away from family members, and only attends sleepovers with a small number of friends.

Simpson, who already stretched her limits in a recent tree-climbing competition and asked to go skydiving this month — she's now aiming for sometime next year — said she is eager for a "normal" life.

After three more months of rehab, she hopes to get her driver's license, a GED after finishing up online classes, and a job.

College will come sometime a little later, as well as, she hopes, a welcome break from hospitals as her medical demands ease.

But Simpson, who said her journey gets easier "day by day" and is thankful for the support of her family, friends and strangers, seems content to wait a little longer to live as a typical young adult might.

"At this point in my life, I just think, what could get better?" Simpson said. "It's not like I expect more. I got my lottery of life."

E-mail: khopkins@lnpnews.com