Yesterday marked the 11th anniversary of the death of a Chicago sports legend, Walter Payton. Payton is also a hero to the organ donation community because of the support and attention he brought to the cause. Due to a rare liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis , Payton was in need of a life-saving liver transplant. After announcing he was placed on the national transplant waiting list, there was a 25 percent increase in the number of registered donors in Illinois. At the time of his death, Payton was still waiting for a transplant.
Yesterday marked the 11th anniversary of the death of a Chicago sports legend, Walter Payton. Payton is also a hero to the organ donation community because of the support and attention he brought to the cause. Due to a rare liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis , Payton was in need of a life-saving liver transplant. After announcing he was placed on the national transplant waiting list, there was a 25 percent increase in the number of registered donors in Illinois. At the time of his death, Payton was still waiting for a transplant.
Payton’s family continues to honor his legacy and highlight the need for registered organ/tissue donors through The Walter and Connie Payton Foundation . To mark the anniversary, Walter’s son Jarrett hosted an o n-air tribute to his father on Chicagoland Sports Radio.
-Nick