As Transplant Games Close In Cleveland, Team Philly Already Looking Ahead To 2018
CLEVELAND, OH. (CBS) -- Participants in the 2016 Transplant Games of America, including those from Team Philly, are bidding a fond farewell to Cleveland, already setting their sights on the next games in 2018.
Chas Devlin from Roslyn is wrapping up his fifth transplant games. He says in 2003, he was going downhill, battling cardiomyopathy.
"This changed my life," he said. "I couldn't walk 100 yards even with oxygen without stopping to rest."
But, in 2003, Chas got a new heart and two new lungs.
"It's been wonderful," he said. "I've been to many events and milestones in my children's lives that I wouldn't be here for if it weren't for my donor and my transplant."
And Chas puts the new hearts and lungs to good use. At the games this year he ran the 5K.
"I did 20K cycling, I did 1500-meter walk run, and I did bowling," he said. "I may not be the fastest, but if I start I finish it."
It was 17-year-old Cam Whittle's first time at the Transplant games. Whittle had a cornea transplant when he was in 8th grade.
"It was really bad," he said. "I couldn't do anything at all, I couldn't see anything at all."
But he says since had surgery.
"It was really hard to see, and do activities without vision," he said, "but after that I was able to have more fun and do whatever I wanted to do."
Cam says he'll be back at the games in 2018 with big goals to reach.
"Gold medals for everything," he said.
