Letter from CANADA

Dear Orien,

The Canadians have been very busy with various events that have helped to promote Organ Donor Awareness, the most exciting one was competing in a Dragon Boat Race.

In June of this year the Canadian Transplant Team made their debut as a Dragon Boat crew in the International Dragon Boat Festival that was held in Toronto this past June 21st and 22nd, 1997. Paddling practice started in the cool Canadian month of April. Dressed warmly, we braved the cold waters of the Humber River every Sunday morning. Despite the fact that some of us had a two to four hour drive just to get to Toronto each week there was usually an eager crew of 22 transplant recipients ready to jump into a dragon boat and practice their hearts out for an hour.

Every week Niva Seggto a wife of one of the crew members drove down and never failed to get Dennis (a kidney transplant recipient) to the practices on time. Four hours to the practice, she would then cheer us on for an hour, then turn around and drive another four hours back home. It never fails to amaze me the love and support that transplant recipients receive from their spouses, family and friends. We see it time and time again when we travel to the World Games, the stands are filled with our support people cheering everyone on. I personally would like to take this opportunity on behalf of al I transplant recipients and say, "thank you for being there for us, supporting us, and for loving and believing in us".

The Canadian team felt that no matter where we were placed in the race- just being able to be a member of this unique team made us winners for having the opportunity to compete. On the front of our shirts the slogan read "Ain't nothing dragon us down" and the back read "Pulling together for a better future". The 22 member crew was made up of; liver, kidney, heart, lung, and one bone marrow recipient. Our coach and stern was Tim Klassen who had donated his kidney to his sister Melody, and our mascot was a lime green dragon named Gloria, in honour of our dear departed Gloria Santini.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, for us it gave us a thousand or more opportunities to talk about transplantation and Organ Donor Awareness throughout the weekend of the Dragon Boat Festival. We were featured on the front page of one of Canada's national newspapers. The notoriety we received from that picture was monumental, it certainly stated that TRANSPLANTATION WORKS.

As for the outcome of this first time transplant dragon boat crew, we placed c respectable fourth in the Community Team category. Maybe we could make this one of the events when Japan hosts the Games. Heather Fisher (Canadian Team).

ALL IN THE SAME BOAT Tim Klassen and his sister Melody practice on the Humber River in preparation to compete in the Dragon Boat Races. Picture from the Toronoto Star, June 1997

Return to Table of contents

 

Last modified: 11 May 2000