SUCH a WHIRLWIND! Unpacking some great experiences from the Games...

By Missy Spishak
Transplant Games Coordinator
Zeta Kappa - University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

The Greller Clan

BY TODAY, TUESDAY, THE PHI SIG VOLUNTEERS HAVE ALL LEFT MADISON, where we had an incredible time getting to know the athletes and the donor families. I am finally able to sit down, reflect and relive some of the moments I had during the Games, and I can't wait to share them all with you. (In fact, I'll have to break this entry into two! More to enjoy later!) 

After running the 5K with my sisters Saturday morning (I finished in 31 minutes and placed 36th of 180 in my age category - very exciting for a non-runner like myself), I went to the swimming events. I was super excited to find the GRELLER FAMILY, whom I had met two years ago in Pittsburgh. And guess what! They were hunting to find me among the Phi Sigs! I loved being reunited with John Greller, a kidney and pancreas recipient, and his son Brian, who donated his kidney to John - and I enjoyed seeing Brian's two brothers, sister and the rest of the clan. John won two gold medals and a silver in the swimming events, and it was such a joy to see how well he is doing and to share in the celebration with him and his whole family.

The Zaragozas at Opening Ceremony

Then I was off to Team Tailgate and the Opening Ceremony. The ceremony itself starts out as a big party where Games athletes from across the country parade in to cheers and non-stop clapping! We got to see the athletes and families we met throughout our time at the Expo marching in with their teams.

My first moment of raw emotion was when the ZARAGOZA FAMILY (Marianne Cohen and I first met this family at the Expo) saw me standing there taking pictures.... Jose Zaragoza, who lost his son Matthew at the age of 16 only five years ago, walked over and gave me a huge hug and thanked me for being there and supporting the Games. Yep, I cried for the first time that night! The rest of the ceremony was a wonderful celebration of life and giving. 

Joseph Lackey in 2008 and 2010 (L-R).

Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early to find my Phi Sig sisters working hard at the water station for cycling. I enjoyed hanging out with them until the lake mosquitoes started attacking me (!), so I was off to swimming events again! This time at swimming, I found a little boy we Phi Sigs fell in love with last time: JOSEPH LACKEY, who was photographed two years ago in Pittsburgh with "Eat my Bubbles" on his back. This time, his message was "Follow Me to the Wall"!  I got to talk to his mom Sheila, and found out this amazing little guy was from Team Alabama; he had his kidney transplant at age 2. He's now 10 and doing amazing! His 17-year-old sister Katie was there cheering him on, and she even danced with him on Friday night in the ballroom competition. Hearing Katie cheering in her southern accent for her little brother was such a sweet moment for me. I can't wait to see what Joseph has written on his back in two years when he goes for the gold again in swimming!

More to come soon! We're nowhere close to done blogging about this amazing experience! Watch for updates all week - as the Games do not conclude until Wednesday. But, as you can already tell, the impact on us (and, we hope, all of you) will last a lifetime - all thanks to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation!