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Rod Carew, who was apparently officially placed on the heart transplant list only a few days ago, didn’t have to wait long. The former Twins-great got the call late last night that a matching heart donor had been found, meaning he will undergo heart transplant surgery today.
Carew suffered a massive heart attack last September, but didn’t tell anyone about it until over a month later. Since then Sir Rodney has been living with the assistance of a surgically implanted Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) that helps his heart pump blood.
Twins players often sported “Heart of 29” tee-shirts in 2016 in support of Carew and his efforts to raise awareness about heart disease.
At the All-Star Game earlier this year, MLB announced that they were re-naming the American League Batting Title the Rod Carew American League Batting Title. Carew expressed his gratitude at the time that he was still alive to receive the honor.
Good luck, Rod.