Friday, October 24, 2008

Do You Believe? Two heart transplants later a PGA golfer

Hartford Courant

Erik Compton, 28, a pro golfer from Miami who has had two heart transplants, including one last May, has been granted permission by the PGA Tour to use a golf cart and take banned anti-rejection pills, and has registered to play in the first stage of the tour's qualifying school beginning Tuesday at Crandon Golf Club in Key Biscayne, Fla.

Tour spokesman Ty Votaw declined to say how the medical review panel reached its decision, but said, "It's hard to argue with a guy who's had three hearts."

Compton, who was diagnosed at age 9 with cardiomyopathy, an enlarging of the heart that hinders its ability to pump blood, suffered a heart attack on the golf course Oct. 3, 2007, and frantically drove himself to the same hospital where he received his first transplant at age 12. After his 14-hour operation five months ago, he learned that his wife, Barbara, was pregnant. She's due with a girl on Feb. 26 — 17 years to the day after Compton had his first heart transplant.

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