© Photo by Carrie Johnson
Tristan, now a freshman at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania, tells his new friends and teammates about his transplant journey and encourages them to sign up to be donors.
He was placed on the transplant waiting list after his diagnosis while he maintained the rigors of high school and continued the demanding treatments. That all changed in May 2019. After waiting three months for a transplant, a boy about Tristan’s age died in an accident. One of his final gifts was a kidney for Tristan. A successful transplant freed the athlete from dialysis and from worrying about what’s next. Months later, he received a letter from his donor’s family. Learning a little about the teen who saved Tristan was emotional. “If I could talk to my donor I would just say, ‘Thank you,’” he said. “I would make a promise to do what I can to spread the word about
donation. And I would let him know I am honoring his gift.” Of the nearly 2,400 patients waiting for organ transplants in Michigan today, about 2,000 are waiting — like Tristan did — for a kidney. That wait for many can take years, leaving patients tied to dialysis treatments that steal their days, their energy and their sense of hope. Some patients die waiting. “We’re so thrilled that Tristan’s time on the waiting list was relatively short,” said Dorrie Dils, president and CEO of Gift of Life Michigan. “Unfortunately, so many others linger on the list and life on dialysis is no way to live, as he knows all too well.” For Tristan, his freedom from dialysis meant a commitment to honoring
his donor and that hopefully meant doing what he loves most — playing lacrosse. But he wasn’t sure he was healthy enough to compete. With support from his family, friends and teammates — and approval from his doctors — Tristan practiced with the varsity squad in 2021, worked his way back into playing shape and was cleared to compete just three months later. “I don’t think it would have been possible if it wasn’t for my team,” he said. “It really helped that spring. I felt like I had the strength of all 30 guys on that team.” As a senior, he was wielding a stick on the field — but he wanted that season to hold more meaning. Tristan dedicated his senior season to Gift of Life and pledged to
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Gift of Life Michigan | golm.org
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