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E-mail This StoryThe Coppell residents have had organ transplants, dealt with the effects of it afterward and remained active through it all.
While they both joke about having certain limitations n they list tackle football as a big no-no in terms of physical activity n Randall and Coyle know there isn’t much they can’t do.
Softball is one sport they can compete in, and they’ll join 20 other organ recipients in the 12th annual Organ Donors Game where they will play against local media personalities. The game will be held Saturday at the Dr Pepper Youth Ballpark, located just outside of AmeriQuest Field in Arlington.
But the event means much more than the game itself. It serves as a reminder of how fortunate they are and how they’re still alive because of the generosity of others. It also allows them to be around those who have gone through similar experiences.
“I’m looking forward to the camaraderie,” Randall said. “Being there means we’re doing good and doing OK. Some of us can live a good quality of life. Others are in and out of the hospital. But they’re alive, and they have a plan.”
Randall and Coyle went different routes during their journey. Randall received a kidney transplant in 1982 from his older sister. It was a perfect match, allowing the procedure to be a lot more smooth.
“The best scenario is that you get one from a living related donor,” Randall said. “I’m in a family of 12, so there was the good chance of having the perfect match. So this let me live a high quality of life. I’ve never experienced rejection, and it has progressed very well.”
Randall has also beaten his share of odds. The typical expected length of a transplanted kidney is about five to seven years. Randall has had his for 24 years.
He credits his lifestyle n he doesn’t smoke or drink alcohol n as one reason the transplant has worked so well. And since the transplant he and his wife have had three children. He said his sister continues to do well.
Coyle had a liver transplant in 2000. Unlike Randall, he didn’t know the person who made the organ donation. He said he has written a letter to the Southwest Transplant Alliance, but so far he hasn’t received a reply.
Coyle was also fortunate when finding a donor. Doctors had told him that he might have to wait nine months to two years before finding a donor, but he only had to wait for six weeks. In fact, he received the phone call letting him know of the availability on Halloween night.
Also like Randall, the transplant has allowed him to remain active. In fact, it’s part of his job. Coyle is a tennis pro at Wagon Wheel Tennis Center in Coppell, and he said the transplant hasn’t slowed him down. In fact, it actually sped up his tennis career.
“I had been in the restaurant management business,” Coyle said. “And the doctors recommended that I do something less stressful. I had been looking into something else for supplemental income as I got closer to retirement, so the liver disease just sped things up.”
Coyle, who became certified to teach tennis in 1999, has played since he was a child and has played as an adult in USTA leagues and in the Tennis Competitors of Dallas league. But to some, he’s been able to teach a little bit more than just tennis.
“There have been a couple of people at the tennis center who have said that I give them no excuse to not get out there and exercise,” Coyle said. “They said if I can do it, they can do it.”
Both Coyle and Randall have spent time in the community, too. Coyle has volunteered at the Lively Livers Charity and at the Southwest Transplant Foundation.
Randall has told others, such as local EMTs, of his experiences.
He has also competed in the Transplant Olympics, a biannual event featuring a variety of sports for transplant recipients. Randall has competed in the golf event three times.
Neither Randall nor Coyle have played in the Organ Donor Game, but both are looking forward to it.
The game begins at 4 p.m. and will have 22 players on the recipient team ranging in age from 8 to 68. The media team will include meteorologist David Finfrock from KXAS Channel 5, health reporter John Hammarley from FOX 4 and Anna DeHaro from Mix 102.9. The goal for the game is to raise awareness for organ donations.
“There are a wide variety of people giving up their time to do this,” Randall said. “When people see that the media personalities take their time to relay the experience that reaches out to a lot more people. What we hope is that they go back to their jobs and then share their experience from this with everyone else.”
Some things the participants hope to discuss include the importance of talking with the family about organ donation, plus the truths and myths of organ transplants.
Following the game, former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk, whose brother died while awaiting a kidney transplant, will throw out the first pitch at the Rangers game.
Throughout the game, which is hosted by the Rangers and Southwest Transplant Alliance, the Rangers will make announcements and show a video about organ donations.
All of the Major League Baseball teams hosted organ donor events in 1995 when Mickey Mantle received a liver transplant. Since then, the Rangers have continued with the effort each year. The Rangers added the softball game in 1998 to increase the participation in the event. Celebrities who have helped the Rangers’ event over the years include Carl Lewis, Walter Payton and Charles Haley.
“I’m looking forward to being at the ballpark,” Coyle said. “It’s a good way to show people what we can do. It enlightens people and shows that transplant recipients can carry on a normal life.”
