New Lungs For Girl After Transplant Legal Row A 10-year-old girl is getting a potentially life-saving lung transplant just days after a judge ruled she should be eligible for organs from an adult donor. Sarah Murnaghan, who suffers from severe cystic fibrosis, was receiving the double-lung transplant on Wednesday at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a family spokeswoman said. Her health was deteriorating when a federal judge intervened on June 5, ruling that she and 11-year-old Javier Acosta of New York City should have unrestricted eligibility for adult lungs. Their families challenged existing transplant policy that made children under 12 wait for suitable adult lungs only after adolescents and adults on the waiting list had been considered. The ruling gave Sarah access to a much greater list of potential donors, especially as children's lungs are rarely donated. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network says 31 children under age 11 are on the waiting list for a lung transplant. Spokeswoman Maureen Garrity said the family received word about the available adult lungs Tuesday night. Ms Garrity said the girl's relatives were "beyond excited" about the development but were "keeping in mind that someone had to lose a family member and they're very aware of that and very appreciative." Sarah's mother, Janet, said in a Facebook post that the family was "overwhelmed with emotions" and thanked all her supporters. She wrote: "Today is the start of Sarah's new beginning and new life!" Critics warn there could be a downside to having judges intervene in the organ transplant system. Lung transplants are complex procedures and some say young patients tend to have more trouble with them than adults.