Cochrane’s Michelle Hounslow refuses to let a kidney transplant slow her down.
The Heartland resident matched her 2019 haul of five swimming medals while competing at this year’s World Transplant Games in Australia last month.
Hounslow went “down under” to Perth with her eight-year-old daughter Sydney in April and came home with silver medals in the 200-metre (m) freestyle and 50-m breaststroke, while also picking up bronze medals in the 100-m freestyle, 50-m freestyle, and 100-m breaststroke.
Her good friend Craig donated the kidney for her transplant in 2018, which turned decades of health issues due to an autoimmune disease into a life where she could go back to training in a sport she competed in throughout her youth.
Hounslow became sick with an autoimmune disease just before she turned 10, which damaged her kidneys.
A couple of decades later, with the disease in remission, her situation took a turn.
“Eventually just the toll of life and also having a having a child, being pregnant with a child, took a toll on my kidneys and it ended up that I needed a kidney transplant,” Hounslow said.
In 2016, her medical team advised her it was time to start looking for a donor.
Her friend Craig had previously promised her that if it ever came to that, he would give her one of his, and the transplant occurred in 2018.
“His kidney has done amazing things for me, health and life-wise, never mind other successes,” Hounslow said. “He’s pretty humble about it, but he’s definitely a big reason my life is way different than it was.”
She refers to Craig as her brother.
The trip to Australia was eventful for Sydney as well. Hounslow said her daughter was impressed with her accomplishments and even made some new friends.
“She was definitely proud and she loved every minute of it,” she said. “Everything we got to do, everyone she got to meet and all aspects of our trip.”
Another Canadian competitor at the World Transplant Games was a 12-year-old girl who received a heart transplant when she was three weeks old. Her sister and Sydney became good friends.
Pin-trading was a favourite activity throughout the event.
“So she's got a lifetime of memories and a few little souvenirs she brought back with her,” Hounslow said.
At the opening ceremonies, after all the countries in the parade of nations, the last to enter the stadium were donor family members and living donors themselves.
Hounslow said the games provide the chance to really encourage people to donate or think about becoming registered organ and tissue donors.
“We're all here because of because of the decision of people to become donors,” she said. “And that's a really important message that that we all take away from the games.”
Hounslow was awarded an official scroll acknowledging her accomplishments by Banff-Airdrie Member of Parliament Blake Richards while both were attending the Cochrane Chamber of Commerce Trade Show at the SLS Centre last week.
Richards said he was moved by Hounslow’s achievements.
“Seeing what she has accomplished in spite of everything was pretty inspirational,” he said. “I can only imagine what it must be like to go through a transplant, but to compete in an international competition and win five medals? To me, it’s absolutely inspirational.”
The MP added that it’s something that should be recognized in as many ways as possible.
And in addition to honouring Hounslow, Richards said it was a good opportunity to remind people of the importance of organ donation.
“You can help save other lives by signing your donor cards. It’s something we all can do – give someone else a second chance at life,” he said.
The next World Transplant Games will be held in the summer of 2025 in Germany. Hounslow is training with that date in sight.
“If everything goes well, if I'm if I'm healthy and able to go and everything lines up, I would love to be there again in 2025,” she said.
Apparently Sydney already has plans.
“She's already talking about ‘when’ we go to Germany – not ‘if’ but ‘when,’” Hounslow said with a laugh “So, yeah, she's ready for that. I think she's a lifetime member of the Canadian transplant support team, so she'll be there if she can be there.”
For more information about organ and tissue donation go to albertahealthservices.ca and enter “organ and tissue donation.”
Information is also available at the Canadian Blood Services website at blood.ca.
