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"This weekend, 3,000 people from across the country will be competing in what's called the Transplant Games of America in Houston.Among the participants is a 15-year-old sophomore from Del Oro High School in Loomis. He hopes his story will inspire others to give the gift of life.Watch report here: Loomis teen to compete in Transplant GamesConnor Cheney has been spending a lot of time practicing on the track, preparing to compete for gold.But it's not about who crosses the finish line first.Connor wants to show everyone the gift he was given.\"It means that I got the ultimate gift of life,\" Cheney said.\u00A0\"That somebody's donor, that somebody's family decided that they would donate their loved ones organs and that impacted me and my family.\"The young athlete was born with a liver that didn't function properly, and at just 4 months old, his family was told his days were numbered.\"It was overwhelming and devastating for us,\" said Connor's mom, Heidi Cheney.\u00A0\"We were told the only thing that would save him would be a transplant.\"\u00A0Lucky for Connor, a liver became available.Families who will be going to the Transplant Games with him are determined to spread the message about the importance of organ donation.Placerville mother Deanna Santana said \"organ donation became real for our family when my 17-year-old had an accident on his way home from school.\"Santana's son Scott died in a car crash three years ago but she said the pink dot on his license means a part of her son lives on.\"Our family, my husband, and my daughter decided to focus on the positive that came out of Scott's death -- that on the worst day of our lives, when we got the worst news of our lives, five people got the best news of their lives and were spared pain,\"\u00A0Santana said.With the lack of organ donors, every day in the United States some 18 people die waiting for a transplant.\"I think people decide not to be an organ donor or they decide not to donate their loved ones' organs because they are afraid of death,\" Connor said.Families can only hope that seeing the thousands of lives that were saved in one spot this weekend, will be a turning point.Currently 1,300 people in the Sacramento region are on the waiting list to receive transplants.To sign up to become a donor, go here."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.kcra.com/article/teen-hopes-to-inspire-others-to-give-gift-of-life/6415183>