Tammy Winter

Hometown 
Dilworth, MN 

Connection to donation/transplantation 
I am the recipient of a deceased-donor kidney in 1997. I was transplanted at the University of MN Fairview Hospital and am currently a patient of Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, ND. 

Competitions/Events at the 2022 Transplant Games of America 
I will be competing in Bowling, Doubles Bowling, Texas Hold ‘Em Poker and Volleyball.  

How many Transplant Games have you attended?
This will be the third Transplant Games of America I have been to. The others are Minneapolis in 2004 and Houston in 2014. 

Why do you participate in the Transplant Games? 
This year’s games are especially meaningful to me, because I will be a brand-new member of the Quarter Century Club. To wear that jersey, and be a part of this inspiration giving group, has been an aspiration of mine for a very long time. This year I will also have some special people in attendance with me. My daughter will be with me, and my birth mom and her husband, whom I only met 7 years ago. 

One thing you want others to know about donation
I want other people to talk about donation, to spread the word. The more comfortable people are to talk about it, the more comfortable people will be at those tragic moments when these huge decisions need to be made. Not everyone who knows me knows my medical history. I love to see the look on people’s faces when I tell them I had a transplant. Especially how long I have had mine. I want to spread hope and inspiration.