Opening Day

Opening day of the Transplant Games was yesterday.

We spent all day at Churchill Downs which is the racetrack where the Kentucky Derby is run. We had a ball betting on the the horses, watching the magnificent horses and eating great food. We won on every race except for the first one. We had a very scientific method for picking the winners - we chose ones whose names we liked. For example, in the last race, we chose "Tahoe Warrior" in honor of my beat to hell warrior sports utility vehicle! In another race we chose "Naughty No" because I always call Daisy Mae "naughty" when she is acting up.

Gracie and I had a great time in the gift shop - we got her halloween costume - she is going to be a jockey! We got her a hat, goggles and a horse. We already have a jacket (thanks to Auntie Patty) that will be her "silks" - that is their shirt. And Grandma and Grandpa are going to make a riding crop out of a kids size golf club. It is going to be darling!

After a day at the races, we headed off to the opening ceremony out at the fair grounds. There were 8000 people there. 1200 were athletes and there had to be close to that many donor families and living donors. The ceremony was a real tear jerker! At one point there was a woman who had met her donor family for the first time that day. First the donor family came up and talked about their 19 year old son who died in 2006 and gave 5 organs. Then the woman who received his liver came up and talked. She talked about how at first she was scared about talking in front of 8000 people and then she stepped back and said talking in front of 8000 people is not scary when you compare it to facing death when you are a single mom to two young daughters. There was also a guy who had been blind for 30 years and recently had a cornea transplant that allowed him to see his wife again after 30 years and 11 days!! Unbelievable.

It was really inspiring to see 1200 athletes who had each faced death honoring all the families and living donors who helped them. It is one of those life changing moments!

The youngest recipient was a 3 1/2 year old girl who got a liver 3 years ago. The oldest was an 84 year old man who got a kidney 13 years ago! There were also people who had been living with transplants for over 30 years! WOW!!!

Just a reminder - if you have not talked to your family about your wish to be an organ donor - now is the time!!!

More to come later......