BECOME AN ORGAN DONOR

These tributes will ONLY be posted on the U.S. Transplant Games website. (Donor families and family/friends of living donors will also have an opportunity to share a tribute for the Souvenir Program during the online registration process.)

Testimonials

"As a living donor, I had the opportunity to run next to my daughter Emily in the 5K. My left kidney finished ahead of my right kidney!"
Norm Biondi, Living Donor – Team Maryland
(Kidney Recipient was his daughter Emily. Emily has won gold and silver medals at the World Games in Thailand this past summer and also participated in the 2006 Games in Louisville.)

"Experiencing the 2006 Games as a living donor helped reinforce my belief of how important all donations can be. Watching Emily compete in the 2006 US Games and the 2007 World Games has filled my heart with pride."

Norm Biondi, Living Donor – Team Maryland
(Kidney, Recipient was his daughter Emily. Emily has gold and silver medals at the World Games in Thailand this past summer and also participated in the 2006 Games in Louisville.)

"The transplant games were amazing. I met many new and wonderful people, that I hopefully stay friends with forever. The experience was one I will never forget. My transplant has been the best thing to ever happen in my life."

James Watson, Double Lung Recipient

"My experience as a volunteer at the 2006 Transplant Games has had such a positive impact on my life! The energy, love and support that was shown by all the athletes, families, staff and volunteers is something that I will never forget, and I look forward to being involved in this event for years to come!"

Stacie Ryan, Volunteer

As a donor and recipient family member, I became more aware of the importance of the transplant experience, when I attended the games for my second time in Louisville. My Mother received a liver transplant in 1994 and I had been a recipient of donor bone a few years, ago. My husband, Jim, had been killed as a pedestrian in 1996, three months after we were married. He was able to donate organs and tissue.

Jim was our local city tennis champion, had won many golf tournaments and having been a classmate with Michael Jordan at Carolina, we both knew the skills needed to compete in athletic events. When Team North Carolina was announced as the winner of the Trophy Cup, I felt such overwhelming joy knowing how much that would have meant to my husband! I was so proud our athletes had taken their gifts and used them to the best of their abilities! It was very healing for me to see the joy that comes from difficult moments, as well as knowing the gratitude recipients share from their gifts of life!

I am especially grateful for the opportunity NKF gives to donor and recipient families. The games and relationships I have formed, while attending, have offered me great support! I am eager to return, hoping to continue my path toward healing.

Jan Frye Hill, Donor Family Liaison - Team North Carolina

Fun

Vote for your favorite Games poster!
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Pittsburgh is home to the World’s first:

Big Mac (1947)
Pull-tab on cans (1962)
Commercial Television Station (1920)
Ferris Wheel (1893)
Gas Station (1913)
Banana Split (1904)
Simultaneous heart, kidney and lung transplant (1989)
Polio Vaccine (1954)
Baseball Stadium (1909) and World Series (1903)
Bingo Game (early 1920s)

Pittsburgh Fun Facts:

The fountain at Point State Park, right at the tip of the golden triangle in downtown Pittsburgh, is fed by a glacial formation and sprays 6,000 gallons per minute.

The Carnegie Museum of Art opened in 1895 as the world's first museum of modern art.

Pittsburgh is second only to Venice, Italy, for number of bridges in a city. Allegheny County has more than 1,700 bridges, 720 within city limits, and 15 major bridges crossing downtown Pittsburgh alone.

Mister Rogers' real neighborhood was Oakland, home to WQED (the first public television in the country) and the "Neighborhood of Make Believe."

Pittsburgh lost the "h" in its spelling in 1891, but after 20 years of protest, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names relented and the "h" was restored.

With eight major theaters in Pittsburgh's downtown Cultural District, the region has more theaters in a concentrated area than any city outside of New York

Movies Made in Pittsburgh:

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
Dogma (1999)
Kingpin (1996)
Groundhog Day (1993)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Flashdance (1983)
The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh (1979)

Famous Food:

Primanti Sandwich
Clark Bar
Heinz Ketchup
Isaly's Chipped Ham – one of Pittsburgh's most famous foods!
Klondike Bars

Famous People from Pittsburgh:

Andy Warhol
Perry Como
Billy Eckstine
Donnie Iris
Joe Montana
Arnold Palmer
Dan Marino
Rob Marshall
George Romero
Jimmy Stewart
Jeff Goldblum
Shirley Jones
Michael Keaton
Gene Kelly
David Selznick
Sharon Stone
Christina Aguilera

For these facts and more about Pittsburgh, please visit the following sites:

Pittsburgh.about.com
www.visitpittsburgh.com

Featured Event

2009 World Summer Transplant Games

The Gold Coast will play host to the World Transplant Summer Games from August 22-30, 2009 when up to 3,000 participants from more than 70 countries descend on the family-friendly tourist location.

To register your interest in the Gold Coast Games, please visit www.worldtransplantgames09.com. In order to help you start planning we have approximated costs for the Games to be about $1400 for registration, including room & board, plus airfare (about $1700). To date we have not received the official registration information from the Local Organizing Committee in Australia. As soon as we receive official details (including final pricing and package inclusions) and registration documents we will post them on this website as well as sending out an email to our Transplant Athletics Listserv. To be added to the listserv please send an email to transplant@kidney.org.

Renowned for its subtropical climate, with temperatures during your stay averaging from 9 to 21 degrees Celsius (48 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit), the Gold Coast has attractions suitable for all ages, including theme parks with some of the world’s tallest and fastest thrill rides.

Visitors enjoy meeting native animals at wildlife sanctuaries, cruising expansive waterway and canal systems, catching a stage show or taking a hike through superb national parks. If you are a keen shopper there are many excellent bargains to be found as well as hundreds of restaurants, cafes and bars with a mix of local and international food, fun and music.

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre will be used as the Games hub and events will take place at many of the sporting facilities on the Coast including Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre. Athletes will be housed in laid-back family-style apartments, within walking distance of the Gold Coast Convention Centre - helping to build a village-like atmosphere. Breakfast and dinners will be at the centre, providing an opportunity for everyone to meet new people. There are also planning plenty of social functions at the start so participants will get into that ‘family’ or ‘team’ mode straight away. A pre-games bush dance is planned the night before the opening ceremony and an open air concert after the opening ceremony.

News

July 22^rd, 2008

Woman who received new life ready to give back at organ transplant games
One day, Melissa Layton wasn't feeling very well. The next, doctors told her she needed an organ transplant. More »

Tri-Staters headed to Transplant Games
More than 19 years ago, Dell Rachell of Russell, Ky., was given 18 months to live. More »

Two Lawrence Natives Participate in the U.S. Transplant Games
Jacobsen and Strauss are both liver transplant survivors. This year, they're competing in the U.S. Transplant Games for the third time. More »

Transplant recipients team up to compete in wide array of sports
Organ transplant recipients not only can return to normal, productive lives after surgery, but quite a few also can go on to compete in rigorous athletic events. More »

Local Men Compete in Transplant Games
Two area athletes are getting ready to show the nation how they feel about the importance of organ donation. George Shimpeno, of Edinboro, and Dale Arndt, of Erie, are preparing to head to Pittsburgh next week for the U.S. Transplant Games. More »

Local dad looks forward to Transplant Games
Colchester, Conn. — The upcoming National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games have special meaning to local resident Peter Kupczak. The games helped Kupczak heal after the death of his daughter Jessie from a severe asthma attack in 2002 at age 24. Kupczak began attending the games at the suggestion of the New York organ donor network. More »

The recipe for gold
Debbie Greenberg will be training at the gym and track for the next few weeks in anticipation of defending her titles in both the 200- and 400-meter runs. Greenberg won both gold medals at the 2006 Transplant Games, which is sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation, less than two years after she underwent heart transplant surgery. More »

Liver Donor's Family, Recipient to Meet
PITTSBURGH (July 6) - They were precocious toddlers, both blond-haired and blue-eyed, separated by a thousand miles between Miami and a small Kentucky town. More »

Athlete skates on through trials and liver transplant
I've been figure skating since age 5 and started competing at age 8. Although I was used to dealing with pain, I knew something was wrong at age 17 when I was in Colorado Springs training. I was having massive bouts of intestinal flu.More »

First Person: Wide awake
I've always slept deep and long. As a baby, I would sleep nearly 20 hours a day. Mom used to check repeatedly to make sure I was still breathing. She was a legendary worrier and a fitful sleeper herself. More »

Local girl heads to U.S. Transplant Games
Each week three Virginians die waiting for a life saving organ transplant. The ones who do get a transplant often meet their donors at a four day athletic competition known as the U.S. Transplant Games. More »

Running to save lives
It might be cliche to say a son has a lot of his father in him, but to Chris Paxton, that would be one of the world's biggest understatements. In 1995, Greg Paxton donated a kidney to his son Chris. Paxton's younger son, Josh, is now living because his second kidney transplant –– in 2000 –– was a success. More »

Going for the gold
Sherry Johnson is happy just to be able to compete in the 20k cycling event at the U.S. Transplant Games July 11-16, in Pittsburgh as part of Team Michigan. More »

Kidney donor starts chain that reaches 13 people
When Matt Jones, 29, of Petoskey donated his kidney to a woman he didn’t know in Phoenix, Ariz. on July 18, 2007, he started an altruistic donation chain which is about to reach 13 people. More »

MAGGIE MONDAY: Training for the Transplant Olympics
WINK News first introduced you to 12-year-old Gabe Kagan last year on his eleventh anniversary surviving a liver transplant. Now, he's training for Olympic gold at the Transplant Olympics later this month, and we wanted to find out how he's doing. More »

A 10-year-old remains grateful to heart donor's family
For Diana and Donald Johnston of Franklin Park, the joy they experienced with the birth of their son Scotty 10 years ago on June 22 was followed swiftly by heartache. More »

Swimmer ready to bring home gold again
Padriac McCole is a champion swimmer who's won gold medals in both national and international competitions. Now he's primed and ready to bring home the gold in another competition that begins this weekend in Pittsburgh. More »

Surgery sidelines Levine
Boston Symphony Orchestra music director James Levine will miss the remainder of the summer season at Tanglewood to have a kidney removed. More »

The transplant gap keeps more blacks waiting for kidneys
The preferred treatment for kidney failure is an organ transplant. But although African-Americans suffer from kidney disease at higher rates than whites, they are less likely to be referred for transplants, less likely to be placed on a waiting list and less likely to get kidneys once on the list, according to a large body of research. More »

Boy Who Underwent Transplants Set To Compete In Games
Mike Snyder is in training for upcoming games and showed he can sure talk some trash, but that's all part of training for the big event -- the Transplant Games in Pittsburgh. More »

Family of deceased man will meet his kidney recipient
Not a day has gone by that Lori Thomas hasn't thought about her son, Mitchell Thomas Schloesser, who died more than a year and a half ago. More »

INSPIRATIONAL: Thirty-one Western New York athletes to participate in the 2008 U.S. Transplant Games.
Being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness is something that is difficult to imagine ever going through. Life seems to be inevitably over and the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel rapidly dims. Then, along comes an organ donor who restores the life of the suffering, and the light brightens to the maximum. More »

Bereaved families, grateful organ recipients meet
After a spouse in the prime of life or a beloved child dies, grief-stricken family members often find little solace anywhere. More »

Virginia Beach girl wins gold medal in U.S. Transplant Games
Sabrina Waide, the 5-year-old Virginia Beach girl who survived a rare, live-donor small intestine transplant, went for the gold this weekend and nabbed it. More »

The gift of life
Transplant recipient gives medal won at the Transplant Games to donor family. WTAE's Shannon Perrine reports. More »

Liver donor's family, recipient meet after 24 years
Trine Engebretsen dreamed about meeting the family of Amanda DeLapp -- the organ donor who saved her life. She didn't know it then, but her donor's family had the same dream. More »

Starzl gets transplant Olympics started
Lobster hats for Team Maine, Crab hats for Team Maryland, Statue of Liberty Crowns for Team Liberty of metropolitan New York and New Jersey -- there were even a few grass skirts among the lei-bedecked members of Team Hawaii and Indian headdresses for Team Oklahoma. More »

Swinging a club and saving lives
After receiving a liver transplant in 1995, Mike Swete, of Henrietta, has participated in six U.S. Transplant Games including last week’s events in Pittsburgh, Pa. More »

Games honor lives saved
About seven years ago, Timothy Baudoin lay in a hospital bed at Tulane Medical Center as a machine helped his heart pump blood through the rest of his body. Baudoin's congestive heart failure condition had him at the top of the list for those waiting for a new heart. More »

Donor’s home team heads for games to meet with transplant recipient
NIAGARA FALLS — Members of Angel M. Harpham’s family scrimped and saved for months, trying to get to the National Kidney Foundation’s U. S. Transplant Games now under way in Pittsburgh. More »

Salem resident will compete a third time in Transplant Games
SALEM- Nearly 100,000 people nationally await life-saving organ transplants, of which more than 2,600 reside in Ohio, according to LifeBanc, an organ procurement agency in Cleveland. More »

Liver recipient tees it up at games
With each swing of his golf club, Scott Bothel hopes to bring people’s attention to the importance of organ donation. The 46-year-old Indiana resident, who received a liver transplant three years ago, will be golfing in the National Kidney Foundation 2008 U.S. Transplant Games that start today in Pittsburgh. More »

Area residents competing in Transplant Games
Five Johnson County residents are in Pittsburgh this weekend competing in the National Kidney Foundation’s 2008 U.S. Transplant Games as part of team MO-KAN. More »

U.S. Transplant Games to unite Isle organ recipient, widow
It's been nearly three years since Howard Smith received his new liver. Today, he finally meets the widow of the organ donor who saved his life. More »

Pittsburgh hosting U.S. Transplant Games
Nikki McKenna was an active 14 year old who was into cheerleading, tennis and softball. So, when she woke up one morning with a swollen ankle, she assumed it was sports-related. More »

Participant leaves for 2008 U.S. Transplant Games
PORT ST. LUCIE — A local kidney transplant recipient is making her seventh appearance at the National Kidney Foundation's 2008 U.S. Transplant Games. More »

CNY Kidney Foundation sending athletes to Transplant Games
A pep rally this morning in Syracuse was held for 10 local athletes participating in the 2008 U.S. Transplant Games in Pittsburgh. More »

July 3^rd, 2008

Transplant profile: Six years later, again she picks up the paddle
It was 11 years ago when Jean Bost, 68, had a kidney transplant at Allegheny General Hospital. Ms. Bost, a registered nurse, had inherited polycystic kidney disease from her mother. More »

Transplant profile: Young man rebounds with a new heart
Justin Kist played football all through Shaler Area High School with no health problems. More »

June 28^th, 2008

Local organ recipient in U.S. Transplant Games
China will host the Olympic Games in August, but a different kind of games will be held next month in Pittsburgh. More »

In brief: Torch run slated for Monday
an athletic competition for organ donor recipients to be held in July in Pittsburgh. A relay run will include local athletes all transplant recipients â€“ who will serve as torch bearers. More »

June 26^th, 2008

Transplant profile: Good spirits serve young multiorgan recipient well
Her mother calls her a "trooper." Her transplant surgeon describes her as a "tough kid … spunky." … More »

Niemenski, Holleron to participate in NKF U.S. Transplant Games
PITTSBURGH, Penn — Approximately 2,000 transplant athletes, including Michael Holleron and Timothy Niemenski of Leavenworth, will be participating in the National Kidney Foundation's 2008 U.S. Transplant Games July 11-15 in Pittsburgh, Penn. Holleron, a kidney transplant recipient, and Niemenski, a heart transplant recipient, join 23 other area athletes to make up Team MO-KAN. More »

February 20^th, 2008

Norwich man to participate in Transplant Games
Michael Luongo was never much of an athlete before his kidney transplant five years ago today. More »

World Transplant Games Federation visit Belfast to inspect facilities
Belfast will know in August if it has been successful in securing the 2011 World Transplant Games. Sports Minister Edwin Poots and Health Minister Michael McGimpsey made a joint pitch today when members of the World Transplant Games Federation [WTGF] visited the city to inspect facilities. More »

February 11^th, 2008

Impact Of Donor Organ Allocation System Discussed By Mayo Clinic Proceedings Contributors
Liver transplant is a life saving treatment option for people with end-stage liver disease. Unfortunately, the need for donor livers far exceeds the supply. Each year only about one-third of people who need a donor liver will receive one, and some patients die while waiting.
More »

January 14^th, 2008

Man to donate kidney to co-worker in Ohio.
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University of Portland men's cross country and track coach to donate kidney in a paired living donor exchange in Seattle.
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Congregant to give kidney to her pastor in Florida.
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January 7^th, 2008

Family celebrates transplant anniversaries
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Daughter of organ donor befriends heart recipient
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A precious gift of life
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January 6^th, 2008

Transplant patients are older and living longer
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Ex-NFL star stumps here for organ donation
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Event promotes organ and tissue donation
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January 3^rd, 2008

Couple recovering after kidney transplant
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'Transplant' invigorates mission
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New Year means new life for transplant patients
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Former transplant patient adapts to adult life
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Disparities: Obesity and the Odds of a Kidney Transplant
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Transplant candidate to wed at hospital
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Partnership aims to promote organ donation
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December 20^th, 2007

Organ Donation Brings Smile To Victim's Family
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New organ donors sought throughout community
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The Gift of Life
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For transplant pioneer, a bounty of family life
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November 8^th, 2007

One gift, many blessings: Organ donor's family meets transplant recipients whose lives were saved.
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October 17^th, 2007

HHS Recognizes Hospitals With Highest Organ Donation Rates
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October 9^th, 2007

Donating Organs Can Transform Lives
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Act of heart results in new kidney
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One local mom is on a mission to help people make the difficult decision about organ donation.
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Dad hoping to donate liver to save daughter's life.
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October 1^st, 2007

Cyclist rides in honor of ECU student who was organ donor
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September 4^th, 2007

Paired donation story. NKF cited.
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State senator donates kidney to her sister.
more »

Woman donates part of liver to fellow employee.
more »

August 20^th, 2007

Boss donates kidney to assistant.
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Mom donates kidney to son’s best friend.
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Teen receives new liver, small intestine, stomach and pancreas.
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August 14^th, 2007

Kidney transplant recipient was on way to kidney check-up when he experienced the Minneapolis bridge collapse.
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After One Kidney Was Incompatible, Eager Donor Found Recipient and Spurred More Transplants
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July 27^th, 2007

City of Pittsburgh to Host 2008 U.S. Transplant Games Presented by The National Kidney Foundation
More »

August 15, 2006

Athletes Return Victorious From the National Kidney Foundation’s 2006 U.S. Transplant Games
More »

NKF Programs

People Like Us

"People Like Us" is a growing movement to empower, educate and enable people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), transplant recipients, donors and family members to become effective advocates on issues related to their health. “People Like Us” includes the diverse perspectives and wealth of expertise provided by members of the NKF’s three long established constituent councils: Patient and Family Council, Donor Family Council, and transAction Council.

For more information, please visit the People Like Us website.

Kidney Walks

Walk the Kidney Walk Way

Twenty million people have chronic kidney disease and another 20 million are at risk. The National Kidney Foundation’s (NKF) Kidney Walk presents an occasion for dialysis patients, organ transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, the medical communities, and the general public to celebrate LIFE and support the NKF’s mission.

The NKF's Kidney Walks are designed to help people understand the need for early detection of kidney disease. In addition to raising funds for research and help for patients and their families, the Kidney Walk is a great way to bring the community together!

For more information or to find a walk near you, please visit the Kidney Walk website.

Kidney Car

Kidney Cars Program, the easy way to donate your car, van, truck, or boat. By donating your vehicle, you are helping to fund public education, patient and community services, research, professional education and organ donation programs of the National Kidney Foundation.

For more information and to donate your car please visit the Kidney Cars website.

NKF Golf Classic

The National Kidney Foundation Golf Classic is the nation’s premier amateur golf event for charity. Each year thousands of golfers from across the country participate - for the exciting competition, valuable gifts, and the chance to win great prizes - all to benefit a worthy cause.

For more information or to find a Golf Classic near you, please visit the Golf Classic website.

KEEP

Kidney Early Evaluation Program

KEEP is a free kidney health screening program designed to raise awareness about kidney disease among high risk individuals and provide free testing and educational information, so that kidney disease and its complications can be prevented or delayed.

For more information or to find a health screening near you, please visit the KEEP website.