Heart transplant patient remains an athlete

Joe Matthews, or "English Joe" as he likes to be known, has one of those inspirational medical stories. A heart transplant patient at Stanford Hospital in 2006 at the age of 18, he's since become a dedicated proponent of organ donation and is committed to showing the world how good life can be after organ donation. I told his story in this month's Stanford Medicine magazine, but there was so much more that I couldn't fit into the piece. Some highlights: He medaled twice in the 17th World Transplant Games in Brisbane, Australia this year, he has run two marathons, and he jumped back into gymnastics and managed to stand up on a surfboard within months of his surgery. (To find out more about English Joe's extensive athletic endeavors since his heart transplant visit his website.) The former rugby standout from England has also motivated other patients - like David Kennedy, of Virginia, who had a similar heart transplant at Stanford in March and whose father blogs about the experience.