A 20-year-old organ donation crusader from Ottawa has taken her first steps and had her breathing tube removed after receiving a double lung transplant a week ago.

"Oh my gosh, what a great day! I can breathe!" read a post from Helene Campbell's Twitter account Saturday afternoon.

Campbell's parents, Alan and Manon Campbell, have been providing their daughter's legions of supporters, including celebrities and politicians, with updates on her recovery through social media.

In a new blog post Saturday, the parents said Campbell walked around her Toronto General Hospital unit twice on Thursday, even though she still couldn't breathe without a ventilator at the time.

On Saturday, however, doctors decided Campbell was ready to have her breathing tube removed.

"She was smiling from ear to ear with its removal," read the latest entry on Campbell's blog, www.alungstory.ca. "She can now whisper, sounding like Darth Vader with a case of laryngitis and has the craziest ‘big hair' we've ever seen!"

After being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive type of lung disease, Campbell took to her blog and Twitter to raise awareness about organ donation.

By taking her private battle with a devastating illness public, Campbell caught the attention of celebrities like Justin Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres.

Bieber retweeted Campbell's plea for more organ donors to his more than 20 million followers, while DeGeneres interviewed the young woman on her talk show via Skype.

Campbell's Twitter account has since garnered more than 13,000 followers and people from around the world have been following updates on her blog and cheering her on.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty also tweeted his support after Campbell first opened her eyes in hospital last weekend.

While Campbell's lead surgeon described the double lung transplant as successful, he also warned that recovery will be slow and at times difficult. Campbell will have to be monitored closely in hospital for weeks because there is a risk her body could reject the lungs.

"The road to recovery from this major surgery varies between patients and indeed has its ups and downs," Campbell's family wrote in Saturday's blog post.

They also expressed their gratitude to all her friends and supporters.

"We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support and prayers for Hélène. Thank you for your encouraging words."