Friday morning, retired NFL tight end Greg Olsen came to Twitter to share some outstanding news regarding his son TJ.
Day 8- Today is a day of mixed emotions. A day we have prayed for has arrived. We were alerted last night that there was a donor match for TJ to receive his heart transplant. Walking our little boy, with tears of hope and fear in our eyes, was one of the toughest moments of our
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) June 4, 2021
This news came just eight days after TJ was placed on the transplant list.
In 2012, TJ was born with a congenital heart defect that required four surgeries, three of which were open-heart procedures and the installation of a pacemaker. But after eight years, it appeared TJ might be losing his battle. On March 24th, in a series of tweets, Greg Olsen spoke on his son’s declining health saying, TJ’s heart was “reaching its end.” The most likely option they would be faced with was a transplant.
Shortly after TJ and his twin sister Talbot were born, Greg Olsen and his wife, Kara, started the HEARTest Yard initiative, a foundation whose focus is to raise money for less fortunate families going through crises like theirs. The Olsens have not only donated millions to the charity, but also towards the construction of a 25,000 square-foot facility at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is here at the HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center that TJ has remained. But given the recent news, TJ may finally get to go home soon.
A Message From Belly Up
On behalf of everyone at Belly Up Sports, we wish TJ and the entire Olsen family nothing but the best moving forward. It is important to remember that athletes have lives outside of their respective arenas. They face real struggles and are no less human than you or me. We wish TJ a speedy recovery and for the Olsen family’s nightmare to finally be over.
Per Olsen’s latest tweet, his son is currently in surgery. We hope it all goes well!
Thank you for the outpouring of ?! TJ is in surgery now and we’re anxiously waiting for more updates.
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) June 4, 2021
Thank you for keeping our little buddy in your prayers!#playforTJ https://t.co/GWdxL73zBV
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