Retired NFL tight end Greg Olsen‘s 8-year-old son TJ is recovering in a North Carolina hospital after undergoing a heart transplant.
On Friday, June 4, the athlete and Fox Sports sportscaster announced on Instagram that a donor match was found. Olsen shared a photo of himself and wife Kara standing on either side of their son, one of their three children and a twin, and holding his hands as he sat grinning on a bed in a hallway at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Today is a day of mixed emotions. A day we have prayed for has arrived,” he wrote. “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. #playfortj”