Gold medal performance: MUSC student a winner at 2016 Transplant Games

“I’d originally signed up to play basketball, because that’s something I’d played in high school,” she said. “But our team was split up, and I had to sign up for something else to fill that slot.”

The team coordinator mentioned cornhole, and Bazzle decided to give it a shot. “I’d played it before in the backyard, but I wasn’t all gung-ho for cornhole.”

That fortuitous turn of events paid off. Bazzle was paired with Jameka Crooks, 16, of Greenville, a two–time kidney transplant recipient. The pair placed first in the cornhole competition, bringing the gold medal home to South Carolina.

Bazzle also participated in a 5K walk and a trivia challenge. “Trivia was hard,” she said. “Really hard.”

Bazzle first learned of the Transplant Games during her time volunteering for two Lowcountry groups: LifePoint, an organ procurement organization that serves 62 hospitals throughout South Carolina, and Donate Life South Carolina.

Bazzle helped LifePoint raise money for Team South Carolina to go to Cleveland. The organization sponsored a walk, and volunteers sold gift cards, calendars and cookbooks.

Competing was important to her, she said, as a way to physically demonstrate the power of organ donation.

“I wanted to get involved to spread awareness about organ donation,” she explained. “I wanted to show that it’s something that works, that transplant patients are able to lead full, normal lives. I wanted people to know that by signing up to be an organ donor, they can change so many lives.”

It was also a way to honor the memory of her brother, Brett, who died of the same disease, also after receiving a double lung transplant, at the age of 15.

“My brother was a year and a week older than me,” Bazzle said. “Losing a sibling is tough, especially when you share the disease that ultimately took his life. When it came time for my transplant, I thought about him constantly. We even had the same surgeon. But, I somehow knew that it would be okay.”

Bazzle said whenever she accomplishes something special she tries to keep two people in mind: the donor who saved her life and the brother who never got to fully realize his.

“Every milestone and goal I achieve in this life is dedicated to my donor and my brother,” she said. “My brother never got the chance to experience all of the amazing things I have since my transplant. He never got to know what it feels like to take a deep breath or compete in something like the Transplant Games. He would have loved it.”

Many families of deceased organ donors attend the games to cheer on the athletes, which Bazzle said can make for a powerful experience. “Some people even get to meet their donor families at the games. It’s really special.”

She has never met her donor family in person, but Bazzle has exchanged letters with them. “It’s hard to know what to say and how to say it,” she said. “But I think they like getting letters from me and knowing how I’m doing.”

Bazzle is thankful she received her transplant in time. She understands just how lucky she was. With not nearly enough organs to go around, approximately 22 people die each day waiting for transplants, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

That awareness has led her to pursue a master’s in biomedical science at MUSC She hopes one day to help others with cystic fibrosis and other terrible diseases. “I wanted to go into medical research because my life and so many other patients’ lives depend on it,” she explained. “With CF in particular, life expectancies have increased dramatically because of the strides made in medical research and the development of new medications.”

Internal Medicine student coordinator Mary Ann Snell said she hopes people realize just how special Bazzle is. Her son was best friends with Brett Bazzle, until his death, and is now dating Grace.

“Everything Grace has gone through, she did so with a smile on her face,” Snell said. “She never complains. She’s just thankful that she has been given a second chance at life and is constantly looking for ways to help others.”

Bazzle thinks MUSC is a great place to do just that. “I’ve grown up here,” she said. “I used to be in the hospital a lot. In a way, this feels like home to me.”

She’s just glad to be on the other side of the hospital bed now. “I want to do my part as a scientist and a human being to help others. I always told my mom when I was younger that I wanted to cure my own disease.”

To learn how to be an organ donor, visit donatelifesc.org. For information about Team South Carolina, visit their Facebook page.