Team Alabama’s Vivian Herren from Remlap, Alabama was recently interviewed by the Blount Countian. Here is the article in its entirety published on August 13, 2008:
Remlap’s own Gold Medalist
By Wallace Todd
It is fair to say that Vivian Herren did not compete in the Beijing Olympics. She is, however, a gold medal discus thrower and a silver medalist in shot put competition. She won those medals in this summer’s U. S. Transplant Track and Field Championship games in Pittsburgh.
While these amazing feats are deserving of recognition, they are, in fact, an aside of a much more courageous Vivian Herren, She earned her medals after surviving a kidney transplant and a leg amputation. She was also the first amputee to swim competitively in Special Olympic competition.
Anyone wanting to console her about her handicap will have to wait until she finishes her next 5 kilometer run.
Of course Vivian is proud of all her medals and trophies, but she says that is not the point of what she does. “I want to show other organ recipients and amputees it can be done. I am saying to them, ‘Your life doesn’t have to come to a halt; you just have to make certain adjustments and move on.”’
Another passion Vivian has is encouraging people to become organ donors. John Davis, CEO of the National Kidney Foundation, said, ”More than 98,000 Americans are currently on the waiting list for life-saving organ transplants, and 18 people die each day while waiting for a vital organ.”
Vivian encourages anyone who has not already done so to consider becoming a donor. She said a lot of people she has talked to might think because of disease or old age their organs would not be suitable for transplant. ”Not so,” says Vivian. Even bones, skin, and other tissue could save a life or make one more bearable.”
She invites anyone who would like to discuss the importance of becoming a donor to call her at (205) 680-3528.
Filed under: Organ Donation, Organ Recipient, Organ Transplant, Team Alabama, U.S. Transplant Games
