Mucho Macho Man and his trainer: a Derby story with heart

(CNN) — Each morning about 5, every morning without fail, Kathy Ritvo is at the track, always the most dependable 100-to-1 shot on the grounds. On the backside — that musky, muddy village where the horses live — she finds life, too. “I don’t miss any days,” she said. “I love it. It keeps me busy; it keeps my mind busy. I’m not a transplant patient when I’m at the barn, I’m a trainer.” You’ve never heard of any horse she has...

A new liver. A new life. A triathlete is born

My education regarding organ donation came fast and furiously, and after I had received the gift of life.   The pink dot has always been on my driver’s license; it seemed like “the right thing to do”.  I had no idea the implications of that simple dot.  I had no idea of the size of the transplant waiting list.  I had no idea of the nature of the decision that would be made by a family faced with honoring the profound vision behind the dot. My liver died suddenly for reasons that I...