Michael S. Rhodes Organ Recipient
 My
name is Michael and I was born on August 29, 1969 with
a heart defect called aortic stenosis, a condition in
which the aortic valve has become narrowed or constricted
and does not open normally. I had my first of several
heart surgeries at age eight and my young life was filled
with uncertainty and turbulence. Throughout my life
I have been sick and scared and, at times, felt no hope
for the future.
After struggling for almost 33 years,
my life changed drastically. I got "the call"
at 7AM on the morning of May 20, 2002 that a heart was
waiting for me and 10 minutes later I was on my way
to a second chance at life. I felt wonderful, but also
apprehensive. I wasn't sure if I "deserved"
the heart. I thought maybe someone else should get it--someone
who had made better choices in life. I am glad the doctors
and nurses and my friends were all confident that this
heart was meant for me. They really helped me through
these odd feelings I was having about receiving the
heart.
I must thank a lot of people for keeping
me alive and well (as well as could be expected considering
my condition) while waiting for a "healthy"
heart.
I am so grateful to have this new lease
on life. It gave me the opportunity to go to the 2004
Transplant Games in Minnesota. Organ and tissue recipients
compete in games that demonstrate the good health that
can be achieved after transplantation. I competed in
the 1500 meter race and took the bronze medal. While
attending the Transplant Games, I got to see many transplant
recipients who where just like me. When I won the bronze
I kept asking people around me did I really get the
bronze medal or am I dreaming? The most joyful part
was having the medal placed around my neck. I felt that
all my dreams had come true! The picture is of me receiving
my medal. This was the first time in my life I had ever
won anything like this and I am planning on doing it
again in 2006.
Michael S. Rhodes, MBA
Heart Transplant Recipient
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