I Could Never Do That 79 Dan Leite - Improving His Own Corner of the World with a New Heart
Dan Leite is a long-time runner, multiple marathon and IRONMAN triathlon finisher, and recipient of a heart transplant recipient in 2015.
His symptoms began in 2011 at the peak of his running and his condition, although treated with medication, continued to deteriorate until he was granted the ultimate gift in December 2015. His life ultimately was saved by the heart of a stranger, but the impact remains far-reaching.
Today, we discuss:
- The onset of his symptoms
- Why it’s so important to be an advocate for your own health
- The gratitude he feels towards his donor and the medical team who saved his life
- Why he wanted to return to “normalcy," which included more marathons
- What he’s doing now to give back
The great news? Dan still runs regularly and has completed a couple of marathons since his transplant. He’s also the Chairman of the Board of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon and will be running the half distance this October.
He and his family created a fund for ongoing research and support for transplant recipients, donors, and their families. It's called “Rita’s Corner of the World Fund” named after his Mother.
He writes:
The fund’s namesake is a direct result of a conversation I had with her many years ago, when she reminded me that people do not always have to do large acts of kindness to change the world. Mom said that “sometimes we all need to just focus on improving our own little corners of the world. If many people can do that, just think of how many corners we can assemble to create an amazing mosaic and a better world.”
Rita’s Corner of the World Fund is our small attempt to give back to the very large community that saved my life. It is meant to honor heart donors and their families, health care and hospital caregivers at all levels and those waiting on transplant lists. It is our hope that this fund will provide both needed patient services to heart transplant recipients at Ohio State along with funding to conduct crucial breakthrough research in organ transplantation. In dreaming a little, wouldn’t it be amazing if our new fund could help provide the needed resources that create “a new little corner of the world” through research discoveries that allow all transplant recipients to receive their “miracle call” and have a second chance at life with their families?
Episode Resources
Rita's Corner of the World Fund
"I Could Never Do That" Website
Theme Music: Your Love by Atch -License: Creative Commons License - Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
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