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Greg Olsen Cheers 8-Year-Old Son TJ, Who Rings the Bell After Heart Transplant

Image: Greg Olsen/Instagram
Image: Greg Olsen/Instagram
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By Dan Andros
Managing Editor

June 17, 2021

Standout former NFL tight end Greg Olsen’s son TJ was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and just a few weeks ago things were looking grim as Olsen asked for prayers.

This week, he got to ring the bell.

Since the day TJ was admitted into the ICU we talked about the day we could “ring the bell”.

Today was that day! We are finally whole again and we couldn’t be more thankful!

Thank you all for the amazing support and prayers!#playfortj pic.twitter.com/8bi5Tmh1Of

— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) June 16, 2021

TJ had already endured three open heart surgeries in his eight short years on earth, and “has survived with a modified heart” his entire life. Olsen said his son’s heart was “reaching its end” and needed a transplant.

Shortly after Olsen’s prayer request, a donor match was found and TJ went into surgery on June 4th. The surgery was successful and TJ can now look forward to a life with a new, healthy heart.

He celebrated by ringing the bell at the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, as his dad and other family members and hospital staff cheered him on.

“We are finally whole again and we couldn’t be more thankful! Thank you for all the amazing support and prayers!”, Olsen wrote on Twitter.

Of course, in the joy that comes with a life being saved, anytime there is a transplant that means someone else has lost a loved one. Olsen specifically asked for prayers for the donor’s family.

We also want to ask that everyone takes a second to pray for our donor family. Their selflessness during a tragic time gave our boy a chance at life. We don’t know who they are, but we will forever be grateful for everyday we get to have with Tj

❤️ Olsen Family

— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) June 4, 2021

Olsen and his wife, Kara, have created The HEARTest Yard, which provides help to families in a similar situation to what they’ve gone through with their son. If you’d like to check out the work they’re doing, you can visit their website HERE.

Background

Back in May, Olsen said his eight-year-old TJ’s heart “is reaching its end.”

The retired Carolina Panthers tight end revealed his son — who has undergone four surgeries after being born in 2012 with a congenital heart defect — is struggling.

Olsen said he and his family were “working through the process to determine our next steps, which ultimately could lead to a heart transplant.”

This past week has been exceptionally challenging for our family. As many of you know, our son TJ has faced serious heart issues since birth. TJ has already undergone 3 open heart surgeries and has survived with a modified heart for his first 8 years of life.

— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) May 24, 2021

We are so thankful for the incredible support we have received over the years. We have received world class care at Levine Children’s Hospital and we are so appreciative of their amazing team.

— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) May 24, 2021

Thanks for everyone’s prayers.

The Olsen Family#halveaheart#playforTJ

— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) May 24, 2021

In his tweets, Olsen thanked his supporters for their prayers, describing his young son as “a fighter since birth.”

“We are going to get through this as a family and be better off as a result of this experience,” the athlete tweeted.

Despite his myriad health setbacks, TJ has lived a relatively normal life. He served as a bat boy for his older brother Tate’s Little League team, which Olsen coached, according to ESPN.

“I learned that the simplest things made me the happiest,” Olsen said of coaching the team. “On a Friday night, when a lot of people wanted to do a million different things, I was taking the boys to practice, then meeting my wife and daughter and the other families for pizza down the street, sitting there and hanging out with the other families and my kids and wife.”

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“We didn’t need to do anything fancy or go on fancy trips,” he added. “It was really a unique experience. I really enjoyed it.”

People all across social media sent messages of support to the Olsens.

The Rev. Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, took to Twitter to encourage his followers to pray for Olsen and TJ.

Pray for former Carolina @Panthers tight end @GregOlsen88’s 8-year-old son, TJ, and their family. https://t.co/hhK6PYR8m8

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) May 25, 2021

Others shared their support, too.

Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Greg and all the best to TJ!! https://t.co/kk7bjJBbm2

— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) May 24, 2021

Praying very hard for TJ and your entire family. https://t.co/leBAwT3wO5

— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) May 24, 2021

Prayers with the Olsen family. Greg’s a good man, and going through what he and his wife have is unimaginable. https://t.co/mNg6aCgZcY

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 24, 2021

Love you and the family bruh. Will keep you in prayer.

— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) May 24, 2021

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

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