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Transplant athletes are already winners

Reprinted from the Minneapolis – St. Paul STAR TRIBUNE Newspaper of the Twin Cities
Fri, 30 Jul 2004
Photographs by Jerry Holt/Star Tribune

Scotty neared the finish line in the 25-meter freestyle swim. He received his heart as an infant from a Minnesota donor.
Athletes and their families are counting their blessings and enjoying some friendly competition at the 2004 U.S. Transplant Games underway this week in Minneapolis. The games, held biennially, will wrap up Saturday night with closing ceremonies at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The event, sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation, draws athletes from all 50 states who have undergone transplants. They compete for medals in 13 sports, including track and field, swimming, cycling and basketball.

The games mark the 50th anniversary of the first successful organ transplant, a kidney transfer between identical twins performed in 1954 in Boston. Since then, organ transplants are estimated to have saved almost half a million lives.

Heart transplant recipient Scotty Johnston, 6, got a hug from his sister, Sarah, 8, after participating in the Transplant Games’ 24-meter freestyle swim Thursday at the University of Minnesota’s Aquatic Center. Nearby were mom Diana, dad Don and sister Alaina, 3. The family is from Pittsburgh.