Who is Greg Olsen’s son?
RETIRED NFL tight-end Greg Olsen shared devastating news about his young son's health on social media this week.
The 36-year-old's son is in need of a heart transplant.
Who is Greg Olsen's son?
Greg Olsen has three young children with his wife Kara Dooley.
They welcomed their first son, Tate, in July 2011 and then twins Talbot and Trent Jerry (T.J.) in 2012.
T.J. was born with a rare congenital heart condition known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome which is when the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped.
Greg founded the HEARTest Yard at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte after his son's diagnosis as part of his many charitable contributions.
He recently announced on social media that his young son will need to go through another medical procedure and is in need of a heart transplant.
Greg shared that T.J. has already underwent three open-heart surgeries and has lived with a modified heart for his first eight years.
What did Greg Olsen say about his son's condition?
Although the Olsen's have struggled with T.J.'s condition since his birth, on Monday Greg shared that, "This past week has been exceptionally challenging for our family."
"Unfortunately, it seems his heart is reaching its end. We are currently working through the process to determine our next steps, which ultimately could lead to a heart transplant."
Greg thanked Levine Children's Hospital for the "incredible support" and "world class care" they have received.
He continued explaining, "We don’t know how long we will be within these hospital walls. We do know that we are in full control of our attitudes and our outlook."
But Greg continues to be optimistic saying, "TJ has been a fighter since birth. We are going to get through this as a family and be better off as a result of this experience."
What does the Greg Olsen Foundation do?
The Greg Olsen Foundation provides resources to families affected by cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
After T.J.'s diagnosis, Greg helped to create the HEARTest Yard program with Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital, which raises money and provides programmatic support for children with congenital heart diseases.
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Olsen first founded Receptions For Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation in 2009 inspired by his mother's battle with cancer.
The foundation began Kicks for a Cure Kickball Tournament, which has become the world's largest charity kickball tournament.
The Greg Olsen Foundation began including cardiovascular diseases in their work in honor of T.J.