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It is Friday afternoon as I write and the upcoming weekend in the United States has many, if not most, people preparing to celebrate the NFL Championship Football Game (no, not soccer). What was once a dreary winter weekend from the East Coast to the West Coast has been transformed into a wunderkind of lavish parties, broadcast hyperbole, musical entertainment and, oh yes, two teams of eleven players chasing a pigskin up and down a 100 yard long field.
Beyond all of that, there are the athletes. Yes, it is usually the better team effort that wins an athletic event and teamwork is beautiful to behold. But, athletic competition is the sum total of individual contributions; every athlete is a unique person with a life more compelling than the teams or the score. And, if you watch the game, keep your eye on Number 64 of the New England Patriots, Tedy Bruschi.
You see, at the age of 31, after having played football through high school, college and for eight years in the NFL, Bruschi suffered a stroke precipitated by a congenital heart condition known as Patent Foramen Ovale, PFO. For 31 years, through all his athletic and life endeavors, his heart worked harder than necessary to supply his body with oxygen; yet he persevered and excelled. And, he did so through his recovery, too. Remarkably, though he had suffered partial paralysis from the stroke (clinically termed a cerebrovascular accident or CVA), he was cleared to play football within a year.
Of course, many have not been as fortunate as Tedy Bruschi to have a brush with mortality and return to such an active life. (I'm not sure on my best day I could make it through one play in the NFL!) But, for those who partake of the weekend festivities, parties and action of the game, know, too, as you watch this stellar athlete perform, that there are other events that occur daily, albeit at a seemingly slower pace and without fanfare, comprised of teams of medical researchers, biomedical engineers, cardiologists and cardio-thoracic surgeons who serve patients suffering from uncommon (but by no means rare) congenital malformations of the heart and their families.
I don't know how you quantify the score of the game that these teams play. But, to me, the score of the NFL Championship Game pales in comparison to the team effort that has allowed Tedy Bruschi to return to the gridiron. And, when I think of my own experience with patent ductus arteriosus(PDA), a somewhat similar congenital malformation which was uncovered when I was approximately Bruschi's age, I know that it is so much more than a football game to him. And, I know that I and so many others are equally (or more) inspired by his contributions off the football field.
Enjoy the game, cheer the teams, admire the athletes, especially Tedy Lacap Bruschi.
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