Not many people can say they won a Gold Medal at the age of 5-years old.
But, Sabrina Waide of Virginia Beach did just that in 2008 at the U.S. Transplant Games. She brought home a gold medal in the 25-yard freestyle swimming event.
“To see Sabrina jump in that pool and swim to the other end all by herself at 5 years of age left me speechless,” said Melissa, Sabrina’s mother. “She is very competitive and said immediately after getting her medal that she wanted to win more medals.”
Sabrina has come a long way since her birth in 2003. She was born with a defect in which her small intestine formed on the outside of her abdomen. Even after surgery to repair the condition, the damage was too severe for her to digest food. For 14 months she received nutrition from intravenous feedings at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk. Melissa Waide was a nurse practitionerat the hospital and had the chance to meet Sabrina. Melissa immediately fell in love with her and inquired about being her foster family.
Melissa and Bill Waide became Sabrina’s foster parents when she was 14-months-old, and Sabrina was placed on the national waiting list for a life-saving intestine transplant. The transplant option was the best hope for Sabrina’s survival. Due to the long waiting list for a deceased donation doctors were worried she may die before an organ became available.
The Waides researched a newer type of procedure that involved a living donor.
Sabrina’s birth mother agreed to donate part of her small intestine to save Sabrina’s life in a rare transplant operation in Chicago in 2004. The transplant was a success and Sabrina thrived. The Waides adopted Sabrina the following year.
“I want her to someday appreciate the amazing gift she was given and cherish her life as we do as her family,” said Melissa.
Sabrina will be part of more than 50 transplant recipients from Virginia competing in the U.S. Transplant Games at the end of July in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Waides are looking forward to returning to the games.
“It was an amazing experience to see so many children that are happy and able to run and jump and play because they have been given an organ transplant,” said Melissa.
The transplant games are held every two years, which is sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation to honor transplant recipients and their donors.
“Exchanging team pins with other transplant families was a wonderful way to open conversations and share your story and hear many other life-changing accounts of people living with their donated organs or families who lost loved ones and felt a connection to the organ recipient. We took lots of pictures and Sabrina enjoys going back and looking at them and getting out her medals and wearing them and showing off all the team pins she collected,” she said.
The 2008 games drew more than 1,300 competitors.
“The entire atmosphere was one of hope, support and kinship among people who don’t even know each other,” Melissa added. “There were many tears and smiles as Sabrina marched out with Team Virginia during the opening ceremony being held by her older sister because she was shy and overwhelmed by all the cheering and clapping.”
Sabrina might not be as shy at the games this year since she’s now a pro at winning medals and she recently celebrated her seventh birthday. She is full of energy and ready for another family trip to the U.S. Transplant Games.
“She has taken us on some incredible journeys and we hope to be present at many more Transplant Games to come.”
This summer Sabrina will compete in swimming, running, bowling and long jump.
Her mother said, “She would love to fill her room with more gold medals!”