After lupus diagnosis, Portage Northern鈥檚 Tristan Johnson plays for donor awareness
PORTAGE, Mich. — Tristan Johnson is a survivor on a mission to make the most of every game! This senior at Portage Northern High School began playing lacrosse when he was five years old. After many years of dedication and determination, Tristan is heading to Pennsylvania to play for Arcadia University.
Today, he dreams of playing in the NCAA Men鈥檚 Lacrosse Tournament, but there was a time when he didn鈥檛 know if he鈥檇 ever play again.During his freshman year of high school, Tristan was a starting offense & defense member of the football team. Throughout the season he experienced pain he hadn鈥檛 felt before. For several months he received physical therapy in hopes of treating the discomfort. On top of the pain that started in his feet, he was often very tired but associated his fatigue with being a teenager who had a busy schedule. Then, Tristan started to develop swelling; first in his face, next in his legs. On Christmas Eve, 2018, his family took him to the emergency room at Bronson Hospital. After initial lab work Tristan was taken by an ambulance to the Helen DeVos Children鈥檚 Hospital, in Grand Rapids.
Tristan was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that caused him kidney failure. He began dialysis treatment right away, and subsequently traveled to Grand Rapids three days a week for the next five months. In May of 2019, Tristan and his family experienced a miracle when he was matched with a donor and received a life-saving kidney transplant.
Tristan, a lifetime athlete, was determined to recover and continue playing alongside his teammates. He worked with his medical team to regain his strength, and although he wouldn鈥檛 return to the football field, he was cleared to play lacrosse just three months after his surgery.
Today, Tristan works diligently to take care of his kidney. He takes medication twice a day, drinks plenty of water, and stays physically active.
As he looks back, Tristan admits that he used to take things for granted and didn鈥檛 work as hard as he could have. A second chance to play reaffirmed how much the game meant to him, and Tristan knew he could no longer cut corners. He was determined to give every moment on the field his full attention.
His steadfast focus helped his team win the conference championship his junior year; the first lacrosse conference win in the school鈥檚 history. A cherished memory he hopes to repeat again this year!
Before his games Tristan stretches on a roller to loosen his muscles and listens to music to calm his nerves. After he does some light-shooting to get a feel for his stick he heads back to the locker room to laugh with his teammates as they get ready for warm-ups and ends the pre-game ritual with a silent prayer during the National Anthem.
In addition to playing for his high school team, he also plays for the (BJ Sports) Bandits, a travel lacrosse club. Tristan values the lifelong friendships he鈥檚 built over the years. Being a part of a team helped teach him accountability. He gives 100% to every drill, every rep, and every practice, so that he doesn鈥檛 let his brothers down. Teamwork has also taught Tristan how to lead by example; giving to others what he expects of them.
Tristan plans to study biology in the pre-Physician鈥檚 Assistant program at Arcadia University. He hopes to finish his final high school season by winning the regional championship and is working toward being named to the All-Conference and All-State teams again this year!
For his senior season, Tristan has partnered with Gift of Life Michigan, dedicating every game to all the heroes who make the selfless decision to register as organ donors, and their families for fulfilling their wishes. Through this effort he is hoping to raise funds for the organization, while increasing awareness of the need for donors and donor registration.
As Tristan moves into the next chapter of his journey, he has one piece of advice for his peers and young athletes, 鈥淏e disciplined about putting in the work to achieve your goals and really enjoy the time and fun memories with your teammates.鈥�
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