TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | j u ly 2 0 1 4 17 Y ou might mistake her for an Olympian if you saw her compet- ing. But Amy Frackowiak has more than just passion and a competitive spirit behind her. She stands for a team of ath- letes who are determined to make the most of each day, on and off the field. And they are unstoppable. Frackowiak is a kidney transplant recipient and co-manager of the Transplant Games of America's Team Texas, made up of more than 245 organ transplant recipients, living donors and donor families. Along with team manager and heart transplant recipient Brian Gilliam, and Houston Methodist Hospital Transplant Coordinator Donna Esposito, Frackowiak hopes to help spread the message of organ donation through participation in the 2014 Transplant Games of America, taking place in Houston, July 11-15. The Transplant Games of America is a multi-sport festival, akin to the Olympics, where teams and individuals from around the country compete in everything from basketball and cycling to ballroom dancing and Texas hold 'em. It's an opportunity for transplant recipients, living donors and donor families to gather to share their stories and experiences. The games will be held in venues across the city of Houston, capped by opening and closing ceremonies, on July 12 and 15, respectively. Medals are awarded to the top three competi- tors in each of the ten age groups. The ultimate goal of the event is to increase the number of registered organ donors in the state of Texas and around the country. "There are 120,000 people in the United States right now waiting for an organ donation, and 18 people die almost every day waiting for an organ," said Bill Ryan, president and chief exec- utive officer of the Transplant Games of America. "Houston is a major met- ropolitan area, and home to the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world. We thought it was important to bring the games to a city or state that we thought could bring major change to the donor registry list, and in fact it has." According to Donate Life America, ninety percent of Americans say they support organ donation, but only thirty percent know what it takes to become a donor. The organizers of Team Texas knew early on that it would take some- thing as big as the Transplant Games to help spread the message of organ dona- tion in Texas, a state with a shockingly low number of registered organ donors. "In 2008, when I was waiting for a heart, the Texas registry was at approx- imately 500,000," said Gilliam. "Today it has over five million. There are no friendlier people in the world than there are in the state of Texas. There are no more giving people in this world than in the state of Texas. But people are uneducated about it. "There are 12,000 Texans right now waiting for an organ donation," he added. "It's just that people don't know the facts. Organ donations are saving lives." A single donor can impact countless recipients through the transplantation of the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, lung, intestine, corneas and tissue. For the first time this year, the Transplant Games will highlight corneal and tissue transplantation, in an effort to raise awareness for the life-changing, and often life-saving, procedures. "We are hoping that the games will help us demonstrate that there is hope, and the possibility of a healthy, happy life after transplantation," said Ryan. Twenty-four-year-old Team Texas athlete Katy Portell was only four years old when she underwent surgery at Texas Children's Hospital to repair a severe heart defect. A donor valve saved her life. Today, she is happy and healthy, giving back to a cause that is literally near to her heart. She serves as a volunteer program coordinator for the Southwest Transplant Alliance in Dallas, and is looking forward to run- ning the 5K and competing in darts and trivia during the July games. (continued page 20) A Game with Heart We are hoping that the games will help us demonstrate that there is hope, and the possibility of a healthy, happy life after transplantation. — BILL RYAN President and Chief Executive Officer of Transplant Games of America B y A m a n d a D . S t e i n ON JULY 11, HOUSTON WILL WELCOME THE TRANSPLANT GAMES OF AMERICA FOR THE FIRST TIME, BRINGING TOGETHER ORGAN RECIPIENTS, LIVING DONORS AND DONOR FAMILIES FOR A CELEBRATION OF LIFE. Amy Frackowiak FACING PAGE (Credit: Terry Vine Photography)

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