After more than a decade relying on parenteral nutrition, Concha Muñoz has experienced a radical life change by becoming the first patient in Andalusia to receive an intestine transplant. The procedure, performed at the Virgen del Rocío Hospital, has restored her ability to eat orally, a milestone she describes as her 'greatest satisfaction'.

For 14 years, Muñoz's intestinal condition prevented her from eating naturally. The illness, which worsened after her pregnancy, forced her to live connected to a machine for nutrients administered directly into her bloodstream. 'I had no social life. I had nothing. I lived subjected to a machine and a hospital room,' she recalls, remembering the difficulty of watching her family eat while she had to withdraw.

The wait for the transplant was long and complicated, marked by recurrent infections and the exhaustion of vascular access points. A month before the surgery, she feared she wouldn't survive. However, on April 27th, the appearance of a compatible donor activated the complex operation that concluded successfully. Seventeen days after the procedure, she was discharged.

Muñoz now describes the experience of eating as a 'discovery.' From the first gelatin to a hamburger, each food represents a victory. Everyday actions, like going to a hairdresser at seven in the evening—something previously unthinkable due to the need to connect to the machine—are now a reality she celebrates.

The patient highlights the absence of pain after such a complex surgery and praises the medical team's work. 'All credit goes to the medical team,' she insists, but she takes the opportunity to send a message of hope to other patients: 'Don't give up. I never threw in the towel.' She also expresses gratitude to the donor's family, whose gesture has opened 'a door for all patients who are like me.'