Story published: Tuesday, Jul. 08, 2008
Opinion: A new life after transplant
Tod Palmer
staff writer
Andy Donnelly may not know whom to thank, but he’s eternally grateful.
Donnelly, 45, learned nearly eight years ago that he had “an ultra, ultra rare” form of liver cancer, and he had a transplant in September 2003.
On Friday, he’ll be in Pittsburgh to compete in the National Kidney Foundation’s U.S. Transplant Games, a four-day athletic competition for transplant survivors.
Donnelly, who also competed in the 2004 and 2006 games as well as the 2005 World Transplant Games in London, Ontario, Canada, will compete in the pool — swimming the 100-meter individual medley, the 100 and 50 breaststroke and the 100 backstroke. He’ll also play in the three-on-three basketball tournament.
Donnelly will celebrate life Friday. He doesn’t know who gave him that life, but he’s more than happy to celebrate it.
“I went from nearly being dead to as healthy as I could possibly be, so it’s the biggest change you could imagine,” Donnelly said.
Rushing between appointments with doctors and oncologists trying to get a handle on his treatment options and unsure what the next week, much less months or years might bring, Donnelly wrote off any hope that he’d resume a normal life one day.
Swimming and playing basketball were the farthest things from his mind, Donnelly said.
Surviving and making a life with his wife, Tiffany, to whom he was married a year after the initial diagnosis — that’s what mattered, that’s all he hoped for and all for which he believed he could realistically hope.
It’s not hard then to understand why Donnelly’s so grateful to the anonymous donor who made the last five years — as well as the upcoming weekend — possible.
“I have an enlightened perspective on life that’s different from most people because of what I’ve been through,” Donnelly said. “I’ve been literally knocking on death’s door, and now I look as healthy as can be. I never dreamt I’d be half this healthy; it never crossed my mind when I was going through all that.”
The Summer Olympics kick off next month in Beijing, but no athlete — gold-medal winner or not — will know the joy the athletes at the Transplant Games feel simply by taking part.
“It’s a camaraderie thing,” Donnelly said. “You spend some time with people who’ve been through serious health issues like yourself, and you get to meet donor families.”
Donnelly never has met his donor family. He tried to send a letter a few years ago expressing his gratitude and appreciation. He never heard back, but he wanted the family to know that by giving him the ultimate gift he was now as healthy as he’d ever been.
“I’d like to, but if they’re not comfortable with it I can respect that, and I can certainly live with that,” Donnelly said.
In a way, it’s another stroke of good fortune.
“Since I’ve not met my donor family, I kind of adopt any donor family I run into as my own donor family,” Donnelly said.
Instead of one donor family, Donnelly has dozens.
Were it not for that gift, the gift all donor families permit, the newest Donnelly, 18-month-old Andrew, who was named for his father, never would have existed. But he’ll be on hand in Pittsburgh, sitting in Tiffany’s lap no doubt, as his father vies for a few more medals.
“She’s astounded that we are where we are compared to where we’ve been,” Donnelly said. “I think the whole transplant thing was more difficult on her than it was on me because she had a different perspective.”
Now, they share the same gratefulness — and a profound optimism for the gift that is every day.
Donnelly won two golds, a silver and a bronze in swimming in 2004. He added another silver and three bronze medals two years later. He went on to win a couple of gold medals in relays at the World Games, but medals aren’t really the point of the games.
“I’m a very, very lucky guy,” Donnelly said. “I never thought I’d compete in athletics again or be a dad. It was ridiculous to get that far ahead of the game.”