Contact: Jill M. Geer
Director of Communications
At the USATF Xerox Media Center: 780-821-4130
http://www.usatf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 8, 2001
Team USA manager a real-life hero
When people talk of "giving the gift of life," it is usually in the context
of signing the back of their drivers' license to be an organ donor, should
the worst happen to them in a traffic accident.
For Team USA women's team head manager Maryanne Torrellas, giving the gift of
life is a positive part of her past, present and future.
In December, Torrellas donated her right kidney to her cousin, Peter Timmons.
A six-time U.S. race walk champion, Pan Am Games bronze medalist and former
world record holder in the 1,500m race walk, Torrellas had been introduced to
race walking by Timmons when she was running track at St. John's. A victim in
part of her tendency to avoid taking water and staying hydrated, her career
ended at the 1996 Olympic Trials, when she sustained heart valve damage.
"I don't have any brothers or sisters, so I'm very close with my cousins,"
said the 43-year-old Torrellas, who has four sons. "Peter actually taught me
how to race walk. I knew I couldn't compete anymore, and I thought I could
help Peter."
Timmons suffered kidney failure five years ago, and last year needed either a
transplant or to go on dialysis. Torrellas knew that dialysis would be a poor
choice for her cousin, a high-energy district attorney from Long Island.
After having a dream that she would be a donor match for Timmons, Torrellas
went through the medical testing that confirmed her dream. Eight months
later, both donor and recipient are doing well. "It actually takes the donor
a little longer to recover," Torrellas said. "He's doing excellent. When they
ran tests on him, the doctors seemed to think it was functioning like his own
kidney."
With Torrellas living in Connecticut and Timmons on Long Island, the cousins
keep in touch via phone and email. Now, however, their communications have
taken a new twist.
"We email frequently," Torrellas said. "We have two kidneys talking to each
other - my right kidney talks to the left (Timmons' new kidney). In fact,
it's a running joke that now my left kidney is in a much better place because
now it's actually getting hydrated."
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