( CNN ) -- Sarah Murnaghan , the 10-year-old girl whose quest for a lung transplant prompted a change in national policy , is up and walking . `` Sarah walked 10 feet with her walker for the first time , actually made it out of the room ! ! ! ! ! '' her mother , Janet Murnaghan , posted Tuesday on Facebook . The girl was helped by a physical therapist . The family 's hope is that Sarah will soon be able to walk on her own -- something Janet Murnaghan has said she sees as the last major obstacle to leaving a Philadelphia hospital . `` The physical ( component ) is what 's holding us back , more than her lungs , more than anything else . Her lungs look fantastic on the X-rays right now , '' Sarah 's mom told CNN last week . Sarah , who turns 11 on Wednesday , was born with cystic fibrosis . She was on the transplant list for children 's lungs for 18 months . Sarah was n't able to qualify for adult lungs because she was too young ; the agency that oversees transplants , the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network , had a policy that children only 12 or older could be prioritized for adult organs . The family petitioned Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to change the rules so Sarah could qualify for adult lungs . They argued the rule was unfair , and several lawmakers asked Sebelius to act . The organ network approved a change to their policy to allow lung transplant programs to request additional priority for younger transplant candidates . The change is effective for a year , when it must be approved by the board of directors . Sarah underwent two lung transplants days apart . The original transplant on June 12 at Children 's Hospital of Philadelphia reportedly went smoothly but that evening `` ... an emergency code blue was announced . Sarah 's vital signs had begun descending rapidly as her new lungs started to fail , '' her family said in a statement . The girl underwent surgery immediately and was transitioned to a bypass machine that took over the function of her heart and lungs , the statement continued . She remained on the bypass machine -- `` her doctors prepared us for the probability that Sarah would die , either before a second surgery could take place or on the operating table , '' her family said -- until June 15 , when new lungs became available and a second transplant took place . Although the donated lungs were infected with pneumonia , `` Each day since ( the second transplant ) , her lungs have improved on X-ray and have continued to work better and better , '' the statement said . Read more : Mother who lost one son fights for other to get new lungs . CNN 's Chris Welch and Melissa Gray contributed to this report .
Sarah Murnaghan , 10 , walks with the assistance of a therapist , walker . She received new lungs in June . Her quest for a transplant prompted a change in national policy .