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Donovan Alexander Retires

Noeller
in Blue Bomber Discussion

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comment_93562

Given how he started out life, the kid's done okay for himself. This article is from 2006:

 

 


I don't remember if the tall, handsome young man was introduced by Beau or Tom, the Q94 morning guys. Or if it was Variety Club executive director Wayne Rogers who handed him the microphone.

What I do remember is how gracefully and politely Donovan Alexander silenced the not-so-polite chattering and clattering behind me.

"Can everyone at the back of the room hear me?" he began with a big, Tiger-Woods look-a-like, smile.

The golfers quickly composed themselves, as if Tiger himself was about to putt.

And Donovan began his story.

He began by acknowledging that at 21 years old, he doesn't appear to be the typical, cute and cuddly Variety child.

But when he was born, Donovan explained, he had a heart defect so rare only one other Canadian had been diagnosed with it.

At first, the symptoms were as ominous as they were mysterious. He had difficulty swallowing and eating.

Initially, doctors told his mother, Marilyn, that it was just post-birth fluid buildup. Later they told her it was asthma.

As time passed, and asthma was ruled out, doctors probed deeper. Finally, they found why little Donovan was struggling to breathe.

 

"I was born with two aortas," Donovan told the hushed room.

And one of the aortas was wrapped around his wind pipe.

Like a choke hold.

So every time young Donovan's heart beat, his airway was squeezed by the rogue aorta. This was serious.

 

Aortas are main arteries that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the smaller arteries that in turn supply the rest of the body.

By this time, Donovan was 18 months old.

Without prompt surgery, doctors told them, the tike could be dead by his second birthday.

The problem was the Variety Club's pediatric heart centre had only recently opened at the Health Sciences Centre, and it didn't have a dedicated surgeon.

That meant an expensive trip to Toronto for the family. Even then, there was no guarantee because young Donovan would have to go on a wait list.

As far as the Variety Club was concerned, there was only one thing to do. They located a pediatric heart surgeon and flew him to Winnipeg to perform the surgery.

Donovan recalled how, as his bed was being wheeled down the hall to the OR, he was standing, gleefully jumping up and down, and waving bye-bye to his parents.

He didn't know where he was going.

But his parents did.

What they didn't know was whether they'd ever see their baby boy alive again.

Not only did he live, of course, he thrived.

Donovan went on to be an elite athlete, setting the provincial junior record for the 100-metre sprint in a time of 10.75.

Today he's attending the University of North Dakota on an athletic scholarship, playing defensive back on the football team, running track and thinking about following his dad, Derek's, path into law.

Standing there Tuesday at the charity golf dinner, Donovan Alexander wanted everyone to know how much he appreciated their presence, what sponsors like the Free Press contribute, and what Variety The Children's Charity had done for him and his family.

"I owe my life to them," Donovan said.

 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31724144.html

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    comment_93568

     

    680 CJOB Sports @CJOBSports

    #Bombers DB & #Winnipeg Product Donovan Alexander has retired following an injury plagued season with his hometown team. #CFL

    He's taking his teaching degree at the U of M so he's nicely set for life after football.

     

     

    There is actually an oversupply of teaching candidates these days - many end up working in another field.

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