PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

Tyler Groom Celebrates Home Run for Life

Published on July 11, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma City RedHawks and INTEGRIS Health continue the "Home Run for Life" series on Saturday, July 14, recognizing people in the Oklahoma City community who, with the help of their families, physicians and health care professionals, have overcome a significant medical event in their life.

Selected Home Run for Life participants will get to take a home run "lap" around the bases between innings, symbolizing the end of a battle against adversity.

"We are extremely proud to partner with INTEGRIS Health to celebrate the lives of those seemingly ordinary people who have overcome extraordinary challenges," RedHawks President/General Manager Michael Byrnes said. "Home Run for Life highlights the courage and strength of some very special people in our community."

On Saturday, Home Run for Life will celebrate Tyler Groom, a senior at Kansas University who received a heart transplant in August, 2008.

During football workouts during his senior year at Winfield High School in Kansas, Tyler began to feel terrible pains in his chest. Eventually doctors discovered Tyler had an enlarged heart. After no medication could help reduce the size of his heart, Tyler was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. Whereas a normal heart functions at 60-70 percent, Tyler's heart was functioning at five percent. His best chance of survival would be a heart transplant.

Tyler was placed in the Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center. Although doctors put him at the top of the heart transplant list, they decided to place two ventricular assist devices inside Tyler to help him survive until a match could be found.

On the morning of August 19, 2008, cardiologist Dr. James Long prepared for the procedure that was originally scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. However, the operation had to be pushed back 90 minutes. Just as Dr. Long was about to make his first incision, fellow cardiologist Dr. Doug Horstmanshof told him to stop the procedure. A perfectly matching donor heart had been located for Tyler. Had the surgery started as planned, Tyler would have been temporarily taken off the transplant list for six to eight weeks while he recovered.

Cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Craig Elkins performed the successful transplant. Tyler had no idea of his incredible twist of fate until he awoke the next morning.

"I have never witnessed anything like this in my 25 plus years in medicine," Dr. Long said. "The timing was simply impeccable."

After the surgery, Tyler was able to complete his studies and graduate high school on time. Four years later, he is a perfectly healthy young man getting ready to graduate with a degree in communications.

Come see Tyler Groom and his family in person and cheer him on as he circles the bases during the "Home Run for Life" following the third inning during the RedHawks game Saturday night against New Orleans Zephyrs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Interview requests for Tyler or RedHawks personnel can be made through the RedHawks' media department. Tickets for Saturday's game are available through the RedHawks ticket office at (405) 218-1000 or by visiting okcredhawks.com.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 11, 2012


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