U.S. Games
The Games have begun!
Friday, July 11, 2008 — Excitement fills the air as more than 6,000 people from all over the country including transplant athletes, their families and friends, living donors and families of organ donors, arrive in Pittsburgh, PA, for the 10th National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games.
This Olympic-style event is for athletes who have received life-saving organ transplants of every type—kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas and bone marrow. More than 1,300 transplant athletes from all 50 states will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in 12 different sports, including track and field, swimming, tennis, basketball, cycling and golf.
Participants Form New Bonds at the U.S. Transplant Games
Rose D'Acquisto
Saturday, July 12, 2008 — After arriving at the Hilton hotel in Pittsburgh (the “donor family” hotel) I went out to dinner with my friend Jan who I met at the Games in 2004. As we stepped out of the restaurant, practically on cue, fireworks suddenly lit up the city sky. We stood on a street corner and watched bursts of colorful stars, each one more beautiful than the other. Next to us were two teenage girls and their moms. Jan noticed they were wearing athlete name badges, and we discovered that the two girls were both heart recipients. They received their transplants when they were babies, and their mom's met in the hospital. Fifteen years later, all are still close friends, in spite of living in different states.
Jan and I told them we were both donor wives. One of the girls showed us a button she was wearing—it was a photo of the baby who was her donor. They thanked us. Their beautiful smiles were thanks enough for me.
A warm, summer evening. Fireworks and friendships. I love how life has moments as sweet as this.
