When senior Caitlyn Siu was just two months old, doctors diagnosed her with a rare disease that caused her liver to fail. Within months, she needed a transplant. The surgery came when she was 10 months old, but life since has meant continuing to battle immunocompromisation, which weakens her immune system.

Still, Siu is very grateful for her donor family as she’s fully aware of how many new names are added to the transplant list each day.

“There isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not thinking about [my donor family] or not reminded about them, and I feel like this is a really good time to… spread awareness to organ donation across our community and around the world,” Siu said.

Siu’s journey led her to the Transplant Games of America, a series of athletic competitions that advocate for organ donation and celebrate stories like hers. The games are open to organ recipients, donors, and family members. Sports are divided into divisions based on age and experience. At the event’s opening ceremony, participants share their stories.

“It’s also motivational, especially for a young person like me…to hear all these other people and their stories there, and it’s also super important because it’s a big event that’s recognized. I feel like it should be recognized a little bit more because it just celebrates and brings awareness to organ donation,” Siu said.

Siu’s first year competing in the Transplant Games was during the pandemic. Competing virtually, she submitted her personal swim times online.

Compared to other competitors, Siu started swimming later in her life and felt that she was slower compared to her teammates, blaming her transplant. But the Transplant Games shifted Siu’s perspective, after she engaged with a community she learned from and related to.

“When I came back from my first Transplant Games…I wouldn’t excuse my poor performance for my transplant,” Siu said.

In 2022, the Transplant Games were held in San Diego, where Siu won 10 swimming medals. This past summer in Birmingham, Alabama, she earned 18 medals in both swimming and track. Siu also won the Team Cup with her teammates, awarded to the group with the most medals.

After the Transplant Games, Siu felt more encouraged to open up about her experience and engage with others who share a similar story.

“We realized that this is a topic that not all people are aware of, so I feel like participating and always coming back and seeing all our friends and making sure that the celebration is heard, and spreading the awareness to organ donation is really important,” Siu said.

Beyond the thrills of competition, Siu loves the tightly-knit community she has found through the Transplant Games.

“I really love talking to the donor families because most of them are parents or siblings of a loved one, and you get to see how much love they still have for that person who unfortunately passed away. And I like to hear from other recipients too…I get to hear a lot of their gratitude that we all share,” Siu said.

Siu plans to continue participating in the games, as they motivate her to stay healthy and reunite with friends. Most of all, Siu wants to raise awareness about the significance of organ transplantation and availability in the United States.

“I want everyone to know that I’m super grateful for the second chance of life and to take advantage of all the opportunities that come to you, because someday I’m going to feel like an old person,” Siu said.

After every race, no matter the result, Siu said she remains thankful for the opportunity to compete.

“I think back about my donor. I wouldn’t be there competing without my donor. I wouldn’t be hearing about other people’s stories without my donor. So I always remember, I take a moment to remember my donor, and then when they do the medal ceremony, I always thank my organ donor whenever I receive the medals,” Siu said.

This story was originally published on The Burlingame B on November 7, 2024.