2004 Games Highlights - Recognition Awards

The Mickey Mantle Courage Award recognizes a transplant athlete who has overcome great challenges to participate in the 2004 U.S. Transplant Games. This year’s recipient, Kathy Miller of Team Iowa, has truly had some significant bumps along the road to Minneapolis but she never let anything deter her. This courageous woman was diagnosed with diabetes at age 10. Through 52 surgeries including a kidney pancreas transplant and a second kidney transplant, blindness, pneumonia and organ rejection, this woman keeps a stiff upper lip and accepts her lot in life with a smile and a passion for fun.

She began attending the U.S. Transplant Games in 1996 and has not missed any of the Games since then, despite major health complications. She is committed to helping raise funds for her team and organized bake sales from her hospital bed.

Recently after developing adult respiratory distress syndrome, she underwent rehab to relearn basic life skills such as talking, eating, and walking. This young woman kept herself going by anticipating her participation in the 2004 Games. Her strongest desire was to bowl once again at the Games and to be there to support her team, Team Iowa.

All photos, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of the National Kidney Foundation, Jay LaPrete, Mark Serota, Eric Miller and Jason Arnold.
© 2009 National Kidney Foundation
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