D.J. Lampert was just a baby when he received a liver transplant from a baby girl. Now a teenager, D.J. gives back by speaking to other students and helping others who wait for the gift of life.

D.J.'s Story

D.J. Lampert had just entered the world when he was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia (a congenital liver defect). At eight months, he received a liver transplant from a baby girl. “I spent the first year and a half of my life in the hospital. The doctors said I was a week away from dying,” said D.J. “Then I was given a second chance at life.”

“I believe that my calling in life is to spread the word and show how important organ donation is and just how wonderfully it works,” he added. “Spreading the word is so important. I feel the best way to show my gratitude is to give back and pass along my story, speaking from the heart.”

That's just what D.J. has been doing much of his 17 years. He asked his school principal if organ donation could be added to his school’s Abilities Fair. There, D.J. explained the importance of organ donation to 500 students. He even showed them his scars to punctuate his story. In 2000, D.J. was named the “Young Achiever of the Year” for making a difference in children's lives. “This time, I got to tell the audience of over 1,000 that I would not be there today if someone had not made the decision to give me the Second Chance.”

D.J. makes trips to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis to talk with kids who are waiting for transplants and their families. He shows them by example that transplants work, telling them “See, you will be just like me when you get your transplant.”

D.J. has a full life – he plays varsity baseball and soccer. For many years, he has participated in the U.S. and World Transplant Games. This past year, he was named “Outstanding Male Athlete” at the U.S. Games and went on to represent Team USA in Thailand.

Although still in high school, D.J. knows what’s important. “The best news is that my donor family has just asked to correspond with me,” he reported. “I am so excited to share my stories with them and let them know all of the wonderful things I have been able to accomplish due to their unselfish gift of life. The mother wrote in her card that her daughter would have been graduating soon. I plan to invite them to my graduation and give them my diploma, as they made this all possible.”