people suffer from depression and heck, I have as well, so to get up and move forward is what it's all about."Ĭompton then walked into a separate room to wait for George Petro Jr. To be able to help people to overcome any kind of disease. There's many times when I could have easily given up. "So to have a week like I did this week, I'm able to share more about my story and educate more people and help people. "It's difficult, but I put the armor because I'm the guy that's trying to help and trying to get the word out," Compton said. A clear, well thought-out personal defense mechanism helps him grind through it because he knows right now, after that stellar showing at Pinehurst, he's "the flavor of the week" and his megaphone just got bigger. Going to places like the 10th floor at Hartford Hospital, Compton admits it gets emotional. The connection between the two feels real, if for nothing else because each has walked the halls in those same drafty hospital gowns waiting for another chance at life.Īs he exited the room, Compton told her to "stay strong." He left the obligatory golf glove autograph for Fullard and her husband, Willard, as a keepsake from the visit. That's when Compton told Fullard that he weighed just 129 pounds when he got out of the hospital after his second transplant. They commiserated about how one medicine in particular makes you want to eat through house and home. Overall, nearly 32,000 heart transplants were performed in the United States since 2000, according to government data.Ĭompton asked Fullard about the medicines she's taking, looking over the IV tubes next to her hospital bed. When a television crew hooked up his microphone, he specifically said he wanted to have a one-on-one moment with the patients with no cameras or media around.Ĭompton walked into the room with his fire-engine-red pants and white shirt and immediately struck up a conversation with Shawn Fullard, who needs a second heart transplant as well as a new kidney.Īs shocking as that might sound, from 2002 to 2011 there were 861 two-time heart transplant patients, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. There is no photo-op mentality in Compton. Open went to Hartford Hospital to meet with patients on the transplant floor, something he does often when on the road playing golf.įor those with a cynical mind - maybe he was capitalizing on his high profile after his performance at Pinehurst and looking for a little self-aggrandizement - think again. In southern New England this week for the Travelers Championship and talking about the #DonateLife campaign, the 34-year-old who finished tied for second at the U.S. And I would not have been able to do the things I have been able to do if it wasn't for the fact that I had a heart transplant." I want everyone to have the same chance I had to live life. "That's why I'm promoting organ donation. "It's not always easy because there's no guarantees," Compton said. By seeking others who are experiencing the same trauma he and his family have, he aims to give others hope with the goal of bringing awareness to the cause that saved his life. If his daily dose of medications isn't reminder enough, Compton actively chooses to relive those terrible times for a higher purpose. The second, as a two-time heart transplant recipient, was something many would consider a nightmare thrust upon him, first as a 12-year-old, and again in 2008, when his second operation gave him his third heart. The first is as a professional golfer, the realization of a childhood dream. His well-chronicled tale forces him to wear two hats every day. If anyone on the PGA Tour can relate, it's Erik Compton. Perspective in life can be a delicate dance. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĬROMWELL, Conn.
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