Sometime today—perhaps several times—Dick Winter will think about the 19-year-old who saved his life.
Because of this young man, Winter enjoys things like friendships, colours and laughter every day.
The young man saved Winter's life by signing an organ donor card(器官捐献卡).
“I can't say thank you enough,” Winter said yesterday at a news conference marking the tenth anniversary of the Multi Organ Transplant program at Toronto General Hospital.
What Winter knows of the 19yearold who saved his life is only that he died in a car accident and that his family was willing to honour his wishes and donate
his organs for transplantation.
His liver(肝脏) went to Winter, who was dying from liver trouble. “Not a day goes by that I don't think of what a painful thing it must have been for them，”Winter said yesterday.
“They are very, very special people.”
Winter, 63, is fitter now than he was 10 years ago, when he got the transplant. He has five medals from the 1995 World Transplant Games in swimming and hopes to
collect some more next year in Japan.
“At one time, we were probably strange people in the eyes of other people. Now it's expected you should be able to go back and do everything you did before, only better.”
The biggest change for Winter, however, isn't that he has become a competitive athlete. The biggest change is how deeply he appreciates every little thing about
his life now.
“I have no time for arguments,” said Winter.
“You change everything. Material things don't mean as much. Friendships mean a lot.”
Also at yesterday's news conference was Dr Gray Levy, Winter's doctor.
Levy said he has bittersweet feelings when he looks at Winter and hears of his athletic exploits.
Levy knows that for every recipient(接受者) like Winter, there are several others who die even though they could be saved because there aren't enough donated organs.
“For every Mr Winter,we have five to 10 people that will never be given the chance that Mr Winter was given，” Levy said.
Levy said greater public awareness and more resources are needed. He noted that in Spain and the United States, hospitals receive 10,000 per donor to cover the costs of the operating room, doctors, nurses and teams to work with the donors' families.
1.Which of the following is true about the 19-year-old?
A.He died of liver trouble.
B.He got wounded in a battle.
C.He was willing to donate his organs.
D.He became a recipient of a prize.
2.What do we learn about Dick Winter?
A.He is becoming less competitive now.
B.He is always thinking about his early life.
C.He knows all about the young man and his family.
D.He values friendships more than material things.
3.Dr Levy would agree that ________.
A.Spanish hospitals have more favorable conditions for organ transplant
B.the Canadian public have realised the importance of organ donation
C.Spanish hospitals received more money from the donors
D.Canadian hospitals now have enough donated organs
4.What's the author's purpose in writing this article?
A.The public should give more support to organ transplant.
B.Transplant patients are thankful for the help they receive.
C.Transplant can change a patient's life greatly.
D.It is not easy to get organs for transplant.
