Retired TE Greg Olsen’s son, TJ, to receive heart transplant

TJ Olsen, the 8-year-old son of former NFL tight end Greg Olsen, is set to receive a heart transplant.

Olsen tweeted Friday morning that his son matched with a donor.

“Day 8- Today is a day of mixed emotions,” Olsen wrote. “A day we have prayed for has arrived. We were alerted last night that there was a donor match for TJ to receive his heart transplant. Walking our little boy, with tears of hope and fear in our eyes, was one of the toughest moments of our lives.

“We ask for everyone’s prayers for TJ and his amazing team of doctors and nurses. TJ has a long road ahead of him but today is a huge step forward.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the outpouring of support through this entire journey. The Olsen Family”

TJ, Olsen’s youngest son, was born with a congenital heart defect in 2012. He’s undergone three open-heart surgeries and lived with a modified vascular organ for the past eight years.

Olsen referred to his son as a “fighter since birth” in announcing last month that TJ’s modified heart was “reaching its end” and would likely need a transplant.

Day 4: What do you do when you are waiting in the hospital for a new heart?

You keep your skills sharp for tryouts! ?⚾️#playfortj@CarolinaRevs pic.twitter.com/qr1uWTyTmr

The Carolinas, where Olsen played nine of his 14 year NFL career, rallied around young TJ. Olsen’s foundation helped create the HEARTest Yard program with the Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital in North Carolina, raising money and providing programmatic support for children with congenital heart diseases.

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A post shared by Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88)

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