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Islanders to
compete in U.S.
Transplant Games
They all agree that their
By Leila Fujimori
transplants gave them a
second chance in life
Star-BulletinAlfrey Pacada flew to Florida yesterday to compete in the long jump, the 100-meter dash, and the race walk, -- feats unimaginable before his kidney transplant seven years ago.
Pacada waited nine years before he got lucky.
"Four of us were a match for that transplant, and I was the lucky one," Pacada said.
The 37-year-old, along with nine Hawaii teammates, will participate in the U.S. Transplant Games 2000 presented by the National Kidney Foundation June 21-24 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Their families and donor families from Hawaii and Japan are also traveling to the games.
"It's an opportunity for the recipients to show transplantation really works, and they've had a second chance in life," said Bob Yoder, president of the Transplant Association of Hawaii.
Each day, 12 people in this country die waiting for transplants, Yoder said.
In Hawaii, 200 are on the waiting list, and 70,000 nationwide.
"I'm looking forward to meeting people from all over the country and sharing stories," said Calvin Nakamoto, who received the heart of a man who lived only a mile away.
Nakamoto, 57, will participate in the table tennis competition. He has been an avid player for seven years, playing up to five times a week with the Hawaii Table Tennis Club.
Joan Desjardins, competing in track and field events, received her kidney from a friend three years ago.
Desjardins' identical twin got a kidney from her friend last year.
"You don't realize how sick you are," the 36-year-old said. "Two days after the surgery, I felt great."
Ken Higa, who was seeing his friends off at the airport yesterday, wanted to join them. But the kidney recipient has gone back to school, something he was unable to do while on dialysis for six years.
Since his transplant a year ago, "he's a new person," said Higa's mother, Kailani Zablan.
While on dialysis he wanted to throw his pills away and stop treatment, but now he follows his diet and cooperates with doctors.
Higa also volunteers at the Kidney Foundation office, something his mother says he would never have done before.
Other recipients also give back. Singer-songwriter Pacada will donate proceeds from a CD he is recording to the Kidney Foundation.
