INDIANAPOLIS – For more than 30 years, the Transplant Games of America has celebrated resilience and renewal for transplant recipients and the extraordinary legacies of donors whose lifesaving gifts shine through the games’ athletes and participants.

Held every two years, this year’s games run June 18-23 in Denver and will draw more than 3,000 competitors – all of whom have had lifesaving transplants or are living donors. Athletes from 43 states will compete in 20 sports while other participants will vie for top titles in recreational competitions.

Team Indiana will send a contingent of 45 Hoosiers to this year’s games, which run June 18-23 in Denver and will draw more than 3,000 competitors – all of whom have had lifesaving transplants or are living donors. Athletes from 43 states will compete in 20 sports while other participants will vie for top titles in recreational competitions.

Some members of Team Indiana and their stories. View a full list of Team Indiana competitors here.

 

CENTRAL INDIANA

Brett Schmutte of Noblesville is a living liver donor. He is the brother-in-law of the late Bryan Murphy, a former Indiana Donor Network employee who died and became a tissue donor. Meeting my recipient and her family changed everything. Seeing their gratitude firsthand made me realize the gravity of what a transplant truly means for a family’s future,” he said. “That impact reached my own family, too. My brother-in-law was moved by my donation. About a year after my donation, he took a job at Indiana Donor Network. He became deeply passionate about their mission. Tragically, just a month into his new role, he was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer. Even in his final months, his focus remained on giving back. While he couldn’t donate solid organs due to his treatment, he was able to donate tissue and gave his brain to science to help find a cure.” Schmutte will compete in cycling.

Andrew Herran of Indianapolis received a lifesaving kidney transplant in 2022 at IU Health in Indianapolis. His two brothers are also kidney transplant recipients and have competed in the games in previous years. He ran will compete in his first-ever games in cornhole, bowling and track and field.
Six heart transplant recipients that had their lifesaving surgeries at Ascension St. Vincent are competing in the games this year.

Shelly Plotter of Indianapolis, a licensed clinical transplant social worker at Ascension St. Vincent, very supportive of their participation in the games as well as their overall well-being and will be the first transplant team member from Ascension St. Vincent to attend the games as a supporter of Team Indiana.

Cynthia Hyatt of Anderson collapsed from a cardiac arrest in her Anderson school classroom in 2023. Today, she’s active and vibrant thanks to a lifesaving heart transplant at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. She’ll be competing in swimming.

LuAnn Mason of Shelbyville is a heart recipient who received her transplant at age 67 in 2016 at Ascension St. Vincent in Indianapolis. In Denver, she will celebrate the 10th anniversary of her transplant at her first Transplant of America Games. She will compete in bowling and volleyball.

Jacquin Gallagher of Westfield was a living donor to her nine-year-old daughter in 1993. Her two sons are both kidney transplant recipients. Gallagher will compete in swimming, track and field and a 5K road event. One of her sons will also be competing in the games.

Steve Keller of Plainfield received a lifesaving liver transplant in 2021 at IU Health Indianapolis. He’s participating in the games in hopes of meeting others and learn their transplantation stories. He’ll compete in golf, swimming and volleyball.

 

FORT WAYNE

Larry McClellan received a heart transplant at age 67 at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. He’ll compete in his first games this year in golf, table tennis, trivia and cornhole. He’s excited about the games because he “wants to meet other transplant survivors, hear their stories and have fun with the games. I have always wanted to go but finally this year, I thought I better go while I am still healthy enough to do so.”

CaSandra Arthur’s mother died of an aneurysm and was able to save lives through organ donation. She and her sister have been advocates for donation since. “This is our way to honor her and tell the world how important donation is,” she said. Arthur will compete in a 5K road event and quilt pinning.

 

SOUTH BEND

Debie Switalski received a lifesaving liver transplant at age 51 in 2008 at IU Health Indianapolis. She’ll be competing in her first-ever games in golf.

Pam Soni, 62, is the mother of Teddy Soni, who died at age 18. Teddy was an organ donor who saved five lives and helped heal countless others through tissue donation. She has corresponded with four of five transplant recipients whose lives were saved by her son’s donations. She has also become an advocate for Indiana Donor Network to honor her son’s legacy and spread awareness of the gift of life. Soni will be competing at the games with one of her son’s organ recipients from Team Wisconsin and compete in a 5K walk, bowling, cornhole and trivia.

 

Regardless of age or medical history, anyone can sign up to be a donor online at Donate Life Indiana.

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ABOUT DONATE LIFE INDIANA

Since 1998, Donate Life Indiana has been the state-authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing the Indiana donor registry. Its mission is to save lives by creating opportunities for all Indiana citizens to sign up on the organization’s official state registry while striving to raise awareness for organ, tissue and cornea donation and transplantation through public education. For more, visit Donate Life Indiana online.