This past weekend I enjoyed attending the Kick Off Event for the
2010 Transplant Olympics/Games. What a neat group of people! I knew I was at the right place when I pulled up and saw all of the cars with "Donor Awareness" license plates. The group consisted of organ donor families, recipients and general supporters of the cause. I was inspired by the group and knew we all understood one thing - we were the lucky ones, the few people who do "get matched" for life saving organ transplants. The stories were vast, some participating in the games up to five times before, some on their 2nd or 3rd transplant, some just first time Olympians (like me) trying to gather more information. But, I quickly learned that I got a lot more out of this little event than just information.
I met people I could connect with on a very special level, after all we are all members of an elite club of people who wake up every day on the right side of the bed, looking at each blade of grass and hoping others who are waiting get the chance that we all had. Of course it's fun to share stories about doctors we all know, drugs we all take, families who supported us through the unimaginable, but most of all it was fun to feel the connection between us floating in the autumn air. Instantly we were friends, healthy enough to enjoy one another company. I tell people not in this group, that it's like a huge spider web each new branch spun by another life saved, another donor to the rescue. The sporting and cheering at the games happens because of our spirit to live, but also because of our our reason to live - our donors - in the front of our minds, always. You can't imagine how I felt during the introductions when one man spoke up and said, "I've had my heart for 17 years." This is just the beginning.
I found this article (from the
New York Times) to be right on target when describing what I witnessed this weekend.
These days major athletic events must begin with an expose or at least some courtroom time. So here's some dirt on this group of highly trained men and women who'll swim, run, cycle and throw various objects for gold, silver and bronze medals: every single one of these little-known athletes tests positive for steroids!
Or at least they had better test positive. Otherwise their doctors will worry.
That's because every single one of these athletes will be competing with conditioned bodies that contain at least one organ from another human's body.
That's right, the Transplant Olympics. It's a three-day extravaganza of hopes and dreams, best efforts and personal pride by hundreds of hopefuls who attract less media attention than a 7-Eleven stickup.......
Here's something to think about the next time you watch those star-spangled N.B.A.-millionaires thump another little country by six dozen points in a game that supposedly proves the innate superiority of a country that produces the soft drinks and shoes sponsoring these Olympic "contests": The transplant Olympians train in neighbors' yards and pools. They pay their own way. They share motel rooms. Opponents exchange tips on improving performance. And they rent video cameras to tape each other's races as proof they made it. Now, which group of world-class athletes do you think embodies the real Olympic spirit?
Larry Hagman , a liver transplant recipient and star of the hit TV series’ “I Dream of Jeannie” and “Dallas,” has been attending the U.S. Transplant Games since 1996.
