Gold medal-winner 'buzzing' after Games

Ranfurly boy Hamish Crossan won a gold medal in his age group and was runner-up for the Nicholas Cup at the World Transplant Games in Anzere, Switzerland. Photo: Helen Evans
Ranfurly boy Hamish Crossan won a gold medal in his age group and was runner-up for the Nicholas Cup at the World Transplant Games in Anzere, Switzerland. Photo: Helen Evans
Ranfurly boy Hamish Crossan returned to New Zealand on Monday night from the World Transplant Winter Games in Switzerland on a high, with some big achievements under his belt.

Hamish attended the Nicholas Green Camp, in Anzere, a resort in the Swiss Alps, which was a separate event run in conjunction with the games from January 7-12.

The 22 children aged 8-15 who attended the camp also participated in some activities in the games.

Hamish won a gold medal for his age group and was the overall runner-up for the Nicholas Cup.

''I believe he wore [the medal] the whole way home,'' Hamish's mother, Tracey Crossan, said.

Hamish said yesterday he felt ''really tired'' but was proud of his parallel skiing at the games, which he had never done before.

In July 2007, Hamish became the youngest New Zealander to receive a liver transplant and Mrs Crossan was the first live donor mother.

He was born with biliary atresia, where the bile duct between the liver and the small intestine does not form, and he does not have a gallbladder.

Mrs Crossan said the aim of the camp was for children like Hamish to meet other children who had had organ transplants.

''What can happen is the transplanted kids, as they grow into teenage years they quite often rebel; they don't want to take their medication and start feeling upset about being different from other kids,'' she said.

''They're there to learn about their medication and transplants and some of the consequences they have to live with in the future from taking their medication.''

It was Hamish's first trip overseas and Mrs Crossan and her husband spoke to him most days at 5am while he was away.

''He had a fantastic time; he's made lots of friends. He's just buzzing.''

Mrs Crossan said Hamish would love to return to the games next year.

tom.kitchin@odt.co.nz


 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement