Time to smile as Greg Olsen’s son has a heart donor

Two weeks ago, we learned that former NFL tight end Greg Olsen and his family were in a very painful spot — their 8-year-old son T.J. was in need of a heart transplant. T.J.’s heart, wrote Olsen, “is reaching its end.”

But today, on his Instagram, Olsen revealed that a donor match has been found.

“Today is a day of mixed emotions. A day we have prayed for has arrived. We were alerted last night that there was a donor match for TJ to receive his heart transplant. Walking our little boy, with tears of hope and fear in our eyes, was one of the toughest moments of our lives,” Olsen said.

“We ask for everyone’s prayers for TJ and his amazing team of doctors and nurses. TJ has a long road ahead of him but today is a huge step forward,” he continued. “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the outpouring of support through this entire journey.”

T.J. was born with a congenital heart defect that required four surgeries and a pacemaker. The family still has a long road in front of them, but our thoughts and our prayers are with them. Donations can be made to Olsen’s foundation, The HEARTest Yard Program.

Olsen did not provide any information about who the donor is or when the transplant surgery will take place. For more information on becoming an organ donor, you can visit organdonor.gov.