By Kaitlin Motley
Review Staff Intern
Whereas the summer Olympic Games are a celebration of the human body, the U.S Transplant Games are a celebration of human life.
In Beijing this month, athletes in peak physical form exhibit unprecedented performances of cardiovascular, muscular, and skill capacity. In Pittsburgh in July, athletes competed for different reasons: not simply to be the best but to stand tall with capability, their bodies once the opposite of peak fitness, to celebrate victories won long before any medal ceremonies.
Every athlete at the Transplant Games, hosted by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), was the recipient of a major organ or bone marrow transplant. The nearly 7,000 Games attendees were witness to much more than just athletics.
When asked about the silver medal he won as part of a 3-on-3 basketball team, Ken Rossman, an Orion resident who received a kidney from his sister, laughed.
‘It was, for me, more important just to get back and get in touch with how damn lucky I am,? he later explained.
Rossman competed in his third Transplant Games this summer, joined by his kids Davis, 14, and Marissa, 16, and his sister and donor Bonnie.
‘My sister didn’t know what she was in for,? he said. ‘It’s very, very emotional.?
The Games began with opening ceremonies, which Rossman described as a ‘mardi gras parade? of themed teams from all 50 states, followed by living donors such as Rossman’s sister. Team Michigan chose a Red Wings theme.
‘We, of course, got booed by the Pittsburgh contingency,? Rossman said.
The ceremony concluded with a special recognition for donor families, whose deceased loved ones donated organs.
‘We (the athletes) are there to celebrate everything,? Rossman said. ‘They’re there for their own healing.?
Donor families were also given the chance to meet the recipient of their loved one’s organs, and it was about such encounters that Rossman spoke most enthusiastically. He met one man who donated a kidney to a complete stranger after seeing something about transplants on t.v. A young boy about 8-10 with no legs and arms only to the elbow swam an entire race.
‘When he turned around, the place just went wild,? Rossman said. ‘The best athletes get oohs and ahhs, but the most handicapped get the most cheers.?
Rossman received his transplant after a 27-year kidney function decline left him with about 10-percent function. Six years later he got sick over the weekend.
‘The doctors told me with the anti-rejection drugs, if I got something it wouldn’t be the common cold,? he said. ‘It would be something pretty weird.?
Diagnosed with a fungal infection in his lungs, Rossman was in a paralytic coma for seven weeks after suffering multiple organ failure due to sepsis. Unable to sit up, walk, or eat, he went through six weeks of rehab. The next year a chronic back problem became unbearable, and Rossman underwent surgery that left him with four screws and two rods in his back. He could do absolutely nothing for six months. Nearly five years later, on the 10-year anniversary of his transplant, Rossman finally returned to the Transplant Games.
‘This year it was just about going back,? he said. ‘I finished dead last in the 20-meter backstroke, but when I was done I had the biggest smile on my face ever.?
‘Whatever social barriers get put on by humans get stripped right to the ground at the Transplant Games,? he said. ‘If you don’t walk out of there feeling happy to be alive, you’re just not breathing.?
Rossman is also a mentor, speaker, and advocate of organ donation.
‘A lot of people don’t want to think about it,? he said. ‘But you’ll think about it in a hurry if it’s a loved one, friend, or you.?
‘When in the time of grieving it’s hard to make that decision,? he added. ‘But if you talk about it beforehand you’ll know what to do.?
One of Rossman’s favorite quotes comes from Walter Peyton, ‘never die easy.?
‘Peyton died waiting for a liver transplant,? Rossman said. ‘I tell my son ‘never die easy.? It’s been a long haul but also very rewarding. I’ve been so blessed.?
In Michigan, there are more than 2,500 people currently waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant. Nearly 3,100 people are currently waiting in Michigan for all types of organs.
To learn more about organ donation or the U.S. Transplant Games contact the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan at (800)482-1455 or visit nkfm.org.