Local 6-year-old competing in U.S. Transplant Games

By Lindsey Ward

Published: July 6, 2008

More than 35 organ transplant recipients from Virginia will participate in the U.S. Transplant Games in Pittsburgh, two of which are from the Roanoke area.

10 On Your Side catches up with Makenzie Blackburn, the smallest contender from our area, before she leaves for the games.

In a field in front of Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where her mom works, little Makenzie played duck, duck, goose with her two best friends

Running and laughing she looks and acts like an average six-year-old, but she and her young friends know nothing she’s been through is typical.

“We thought she was healthy right up to the day she was born,” said Cindy Blackburn, Makenzie’s mom.

However, that quickly changed for the mom and her new baby.  On the day Makenzie was born she started vomiting.  After x-rays, tests and even surgery doctors finally diagnosed the infant.

“They diagnosed her with a very rare type of what’s called Hirschsprung’s Disease and she had no nerve cells in her intestine,” Blackburn explained.

So they removed it and around the clock for 16 months Makenzie was feed with a tube.  With a life expectancy of only a year Cindy began the search for a small bowel donor, with hopes that her child would one day be tube free and could eat, drink and play like other children.

“At six months on the list she got a call and we took her up and she got new organs and she’s been eating and drinking ever since,” said Blackburn.

On Monday she’s heading off to Pittsburgh to participate in the U.S. Transplant Games.  Something she can experience thanks to a donation from an eight-year-old boy.

Makenzie’s participating in the fifty meter dash and swimming and when asked she has a clear favorite.

“Swimming,” Makenzie said quickly, “because I get all wet.”

But for Makenzie’s mom these games mean so much more. 

“For us it’s truly a way to say thank you,” she said.

The games begin July 11 and run through the 16th. 

To follow her progress at the games log on to http://www.caringbridge.org/va/makenzie