BLOOMINGTON - A 24-year-old Bloomington man - who captured the attention of Central Illinoisans after using his death prognosis as a warning to other young people - has a new lease on life after successfully undergoing a double-lung transplant.

In a series of events that could not have been predicted when he told his story nearly five months ago, Jeremy Powell underwent a double-lung transplant procedure at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is out of the intensive care unit and is recovering, said his wife, Antoinette Powell.

"He's really doing well, considering how sick he was," she said from her husband's bedside as he slept Friday.

"He has a second chance at life."

Beth Dowell, Powell's cousin and chairwoman of a committee raising money to help Powell pay for transplant-related expenses, said "It's a miracle. God does answer prayers."

Jeremy Powell was dying of cystic fibrosis - an inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system - when he told The Pantagraph his story in February as a warning to other young people with chronic diseases to see their doctor and do their treatments to try to avoid his fate.

He thought he wasn't eligible for a lung transplant because he has the bacteria Burkholderia Cepacia, which was eating away at his lungs.

But he later found out that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center performs double-lung transplants on cystic fibrosis patients with the bacteria and he and Antoinette - who married him on Feb. 28 - went to the medical center two months ago.

Three times he was told by members of the transplant team that they had a set of lungs for him but each time there were problems with the lungs, Antoinette Powell said. The fourth time was a week ago but this set proved healthy and he underwent the procedure from 10 p.m. June 26 to 9 a.m. June 27.

Powell is still on oxygen but will taken off soon; he has tubes to help with drainage and to help keep his lungs inflated and he takes a variety of medicines, including medicine to reduce the risk of his body rejecting the new lungs.

If everything goes according to plan, the Powells will be back home in Bloomington in September.

Powell's prognosis is not guaranteed but Antoinette said her husband's life may have been extended by five to 10 years. She said they haven't started to make future plans.

"We're just ready to get back home."

Meanwhile, a rummage sale to benefit Powell raised $1,000 at The

Eagles in Bloomington last weekend, Dowell said.

Anyone interested in making donations to help with ongoing expenses may go to www.transplants.org, click on "patients we help" and search for Powell.