With fewer than 2,000 double-lung transplants performed in the United States every year, it’s got to be a rare occurrence that two recipients within a year happened to live next door to each other.

But that’s what happened to Suzie Teal and John Woodard, who have lived next door to each other in a Harbour View neighborhood for eight years.

There are more coincidences, as well. Her surgery, on March 24, 2014, and his, on March 8, 2015, both took place at the University of Virginia and were performed by the same surgeon, Dr. James Isbell. They had the same pre- and post-transplant coordinators and many of the same nurses. Both Teal and Woodard, as well as their spouses, are all golfers. And both spent an incredibly short time on the transplant waiting list.

Both Woodard and Teal had suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for many years. He was diagnosed in 1995, she in 2005.

They survived using oxygen, at first occasionally then more and more frequently.

“As the years went on, it got greater and greater,” John Woodard said. But he didn’t struggle a lot until about a year before his surgery.

Suzie Teal told a similar story.

“It was hard when we fell off the cliff,” she said.

They both went through rigorous testing to see if they were physically and mentally fit enough to handle the transplant and all that follows it. They each have a notebook in order to keep up with the dozens of pills they must take each day, and preparation for the onslaught of medications comes both before and after surgery.

“If you pass the test to get a lung transplant, it means most of your body is in good shape,” John Woodard said.

Teal spent only 19 days on the transplant list, while Woodard was on it for about two and a half months. Following her surgery, Teal spent two weeks in the intensive care unit, while Woodard was there for three weeks. They also had to stay in Charlottesville for a little while longer so that they could be closely monitored.

Teal and Woodard have supported each other through their journeys. They go for walks together to get exercise on a regular basis and are looking forward to when they can get back on the golf course. Teal’s doctor recently cleared her to putt, and Woodard has returned to his work as a marshal at the golf course once a week.

Their spouses, Jim Teal and Brenda Woodard, have found a support system in each other, as well.

“You can vent to each other,” Brenda Woodard said. Since the Teals are further along in the post-surgery process, she has also asked them a lot of questions when dealing with new issues.

There’s still a long process to go for recovery. They’ll both be on many medications for the rest of their lives, and they must diligently avoid anyone who has any kind of infection, even a cold. That’s been especially tough for the Woodards, who have 12 grandchildren.

But all four of the neighbors are especially grateful for the gift of life — and for good neighbors.

“John and Suzie are here because someone was an organ donor,” Jim Teal said. “People should think about donating.”