Organ recipients share trophy, stories from Transplant Games

Mykel Ramsey, a 20-year-old kidney recipient from West Haven, said life after receiving a donation can be "bittersweet," but the transplant games and the living donors who attend can lift spirits. Mykel's kidney came from a deceased donor after it was determined her parents' kidneys didn't match her.

"That was hard in itself, not to have a living donor," she said. "I'm getting a kidney and I'm going to be healthy, but on the other side, they're mourning over a loved one who's not there anymore."

Meeting donor families at the games helped Ramsey heal those emotional scars.

"The games are just incredible," she said. "They can see you being healthy because their loved one gave an organ and we can thank them."

Ramsey won bronze in a 5K, gold in bowling, gold in tennis and bronze in volleyball.

E-mail: mromero@deseretnews.com

Twitter: @McKenzieRomero