By: Kaila Priester
According to former Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen, TJ’s heart was “near its end,” who claimed in a series of posts on May 24 that it may “ultimately lead to a transplant.”
TJ Olsen thanked everyone on Monday who encouraged him during his transplant from his hospital bed.
TJ was brought into the world in 2012 with an innate heart imperfection that required four surgeries, three of which were open-heart surgeries. The doctors needed to install a pacemaker as well. TJ got his new heart on Friday after being brought to the hospital two weeks ago with his failing heart and being placed on the transplant list eight days after being admitted.
His father has provided many updates during his son’s stay, stating that surgeons had been able to close TJ’s chest by the weekend. According to Olsen, “all early signs have been positive.”
Embed from Getty ImagesA 12-second video was uploaded on social media by Greg Olsen, showing his 8-year-old son appreciating everyone sticking by his side during this challenging time. “Hi everybody,” said TJ Olsen. “Thank you for thinking of me. Thank you for praying with me. We love you guys, bye.”
Greg Olsen constantly reminds people of how strong a fighter TJ is. In addition, he provided images on social media and personal insight into what TJ and his family are going through.
Olsen and his wife, Kara, founded the HEARTest Yard project not long after the birth of TJ and his twin sister Talbot. The mission of this HEARTest Yard is to fund-raise for less fortunate families going through similar emergencies like theirs.
They have donated millions of dollars to their initiative and “HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center, a 25,000 square-foot building at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte. TJ has been in the care of the facility’s doctors since.
