He's one of the last torchbearers for the 2015 Pan Am Games, but unlike the thousands who have come before him, Myles Lynch ran on more than just team spirit on Friday – he carried the torch with the help of his newly transplanted lungs.
Lynch, 17, received a double-lung transplant in October. Prior to the operation, he was in life-threatening condition with cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease that doesn't have a cure.
Typical complications caused by CF include progressive loss of lung function and vitamin deficiencies, according to Cystic Fibrosis Canada. The disease meant that Lynch was only breathing at 25 per cent capacity prior to the operation.
On Friday, the teen returned to Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital, where he was once a patient. He got the opportunity to thank the staff at the hospital and to offer hope to families with loved ones suffering from serious conditions.
"I feel amazing with all the support that this place has given me," Lynch told CTV Toronto. "Knowing they're all cheering me on during the torch run – it feels absolutely incredible."
Earlier this year, as part of the hospital's CF awareness campaign, members of the public were invited to run the same torch route as Lynch, while breathing through a straw.
The "Run Like Myles" campaign was meant to show how difficult living with CF can be.
"You were breathing pretty much as I would when CF was really attacking my lungs," Lynch said.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Pauline Chan
