Most athletes on the global stage are there for extreme skills and talent. But in the world's transplant game, being an organ recipient qualifies you to compete.
Channel 2's Wendy Corona meets two local kidney recipients who are training to compete in the German game next month, and surprises themselves in the process.
Their story was told on Channel 2 Action News 4.
For Prashant Desai and Lewis Hagedorn, basketball is their sport. However, kidney disease has almost derailed both of them.
“I was fine. I felt healthy. I didn't think there was a problem,” Desai said.
The physical problems have been revealed. “They told me I had kidney failure,” he said.
“I was in kidney failure, I was in stage 4 and I felt very surprised,” Hagedorn said.
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But then, after years of waiting and even denial, both men got a gift of life within a month of each other in 2021.
“I'm so grateful that I had the port and I don't want to waste it,” Hagedorn said.
They aren't.
Last year, Desai and Hagosn joined Team Georgia and competed in the US port game in Birmingham, Alabama.
This year, they're making a bigger world port game in Germany next month.
They compete in sports such as tennis, golf, volleyball, badminton, shotput and even javelins.
“I'm going to get really bad or surprise myself, but either way, I won,” Hagedorn said.
They have got the organs they need, so they are winning.
“Yeah, it was great! I was with my people. Everyone there had some kind of port,” Hagedorn said. “We're all taking anti-rejection drugs. It was just possible to talk about it.”
They are athletes who are back in the game and live on an elite level.
“I thought I'd get a new kidney and keep going in life, but I think it's just the cool part just to meet a new community and make it the part of that movement,” Desai said.
According to the LifeLink Foundation, 36% of Georgians are registered organ donors.
Data shows 100,000 Americans awaiting the organ, of which 3,000 are waiting in Georgia.
Registering as an organ donor or being a living donor can help save lives. You can sign up here.
Channel 2 Action News will let you know how you will do it in the game.
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