Jul 31, 2018 4 min read

On Ezra Hildebrand’s 36th birthday, he was rushed to the hospital after receiving a health screening offered free to all Giant Eagle employees. His blood pressure had clocked in at a staggering 300/280.

Hildebrand, who had been struggling with diabetes for 23 years, was promptly placed on medicine to lower his blood pressure. Soon after, he met with a kidney specialist, who told him that his kidneys were in bad shape and “wouldn’t last long.” He began dialysis, which left him feeling extremely weak and brittle.

That was in 2016. Fast forward two years, Hildebrand is preparing to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday, where he will compete alongside other organ recipients and living donors in the Donate Life America Transplant Games, an Olympic-style event meant to highlight the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.

On March 25, 2017, a date Hildebrand calls his “second birthday,” he received a double organ transplant of a kidney and pancreas.

“I didn’t think I’d see my son out of diapers,” said Hildebrand, who is living temporarily in Canonsburg after a fire damaged his Washington home. “I never thought I’d get to see my daughter turn 5. Now, I get to see her smiling face everyday. I get to wake up next to my wife.”

Today, Hildebrand is no longer diabetic and is studying to receive a bachelor’s degree in business. He hopes to open his own business one day.

Hildebrand also works to educate the public about organ transplantation with the Center for Organ Recovery and Education and Team Alleghenies Transplant, the group with which he will compete in the Donate Life America Transplant Games along with 39 other athletes from Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.

This will be Hildebrand’s first time taking part in the games. He decided to sign up after a fellow kidney recipient told him about the event.

“When I read about it, I was like, ‘Holy cow, this is an amazing thing,'” he said. “It goes to show people that we’ve gone through something so severe to the body, and look what we can accomplish.”

The purpose of the games goes beyond raising awareness for the importance for organ donation, said Team Alleghenies Transplant President Rich Morgan.

The Donate Life America Transplant Games “show people when you do get a transplant, you don’t necessarily have to have a life where you’re not active,” said Morgan, who received a kidney transplant in 1999, and frequently runs into people who are surprised that he is an organ recipient because he “looks so healthy.”

Hildebrand will take part in the bowling and golf competitions this year and plans to train to compete in the swimming event when the games are held again in 2020.

But the trip to Salt Lake City will be costly for him and his wife – they anticipate that travel, food and hotel expenses will tally well over $1,000. Hildebrand is looking for donations to help cover this cost and said “anything would help.” While the couple departs for the games on Thursday, they will continue to accept contributions after they return on Aug. 8.

Hildebrand also encourages people to donate to the Center for Organ Recovery and Education to help the organization continue to spread information about organ transplantation, an operation he called “definitely, 100 percent life-changing and life-saving for me and my family.”

“My kids get to grow up with a father,” he said.

Donations for CORE can be mailed to The Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) Pittsburgh Office, c/o Joe Weber, 204 Sigma Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238. Contact Hildebrand to help fund his trip by emailing ezrahildebrand@gmail.com.