Former NFL star and Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen provided an update on his young son's medical condition on Monday (May 24), saying he may require a heart transplant. Olsen's 8-year-old son, TJ, was born with congenital heart disease, WCNC reports.
"This past week has been exceptionally challenging for our family," Olsen said in a series of tweets. "As many of you know, our son TJ has faced serious heart issues since birth. TJ has already undergone 3 open heart surgeries and has survived with a modified heart for his first 8 years of life."
Olsen said that, unfortunately, TJ's heart seems to be "reaching its end," so the family is determining what next steps to take, including the possibility of a heart transplant.
TJ has been receiving "world class care" at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, Olsen said. While they are not sure how long they will be in the hospital, they "know that we are in full control of our attitudes and our outlook."
"TJ has been a fighter since birth," he said. "We are going to get through this as a family and be better off as a result of this experience."
As fans may know, the Olsens' experience influenced Greg and his wife, Kara, to launch their HEARTest Yard Foundation in 2012 to help other families facing similar situations. The foundation recently helped open a new pediatric congenital heart center at Levine Children's.
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