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Supporters Afoot for Transplant Awareness

Some of the Mayo Clinic Heart and Lung Transplant Support Group

While some runners were gearing up for March's main River Run event, about 70 members of the Mayo Clinic Heart and Lung Transplant Support Group participated in a 5K walk for charity, raising awareness about organ donation as well as money for the Nielsen Organ Transplant Foundation. Some walked, others ran and a few rode in wheelchairs through the 3.1-mile course, carrying green and white balloons signifying transplant awareness and life following transplant, respectively. The group consisted of transplant recipients, those still on the waiting list, caregivers, family members, organ donation supporters and Mayo Clinic staff. "Over the years we've had some people waiting for a transplant being pushed in wheelchairs because they can't walk, but they're back the next year after they've received the transplant, pushing a wheelchair for someone else," says Elaine Gustetic, a transplant social worker at Mayo Clinic. "There's a real sense of giving back, and it's wonderful."