I had the distinct pleasure of attending The World Transplant Games in Australia this summer. I travelled with qmediasolutions to film a documentary on Team SickKids at the Games. We got great footage and we returned with greater insight into the challenges and triumphs of paediatric organ transplantation.

The Games officially ended at the closing ceremonies on Saturday, August 29. All of the athletes, their supporters and the team managers attended the farewell gala event on Saturday night. It was great to see Team SickKids and their parents and siblings dressed up ready to party.

Woven throughout the days of togetherness were moments when organ donor families from Australia presented medals to athletes and engaged in lengthy conversations together. Each story is unique and each story is powerful.

While everyone of course cheered on the athletes on their team, there was so much else happening. I was able to watch bonds begin to develop between adult athletes and the Canadian Juniors. Kids from smaller communities who had rarely ever met another person with a transplant learned that they are not alone. Parents met adult athletes and came away with inspiration, hope and motivation.

Although the Games are designed as an athletic competition the real experience is far more profound than demonstrations of athletic prowess. In fact, the games are an opportunity to celebrate perseverance, love of family, appreciate medical knowledge around transplantation, promote research and say thank you to donor families. The exciting moments of athletic excellence, with much of the competition at an elite level, were the bonus. The real thrill was to see how far our kids have come thanks to the expertise of the SickKids Transplant Centre.

It was a privilege to share this time with Team SickKids. I really look forward to sharing the completed documentary with everyone.