Greg Olsen Announces 8-Year-Old Son TJ Has Donor Match to Receive Heart Transplant

Former NFL tight end Greg Olsen announced Friday that a heart donor match has been found for his eight-year-old son TJ.

Olsen posted the news on Twitter:

According to NFL.com's Kevin Patra, TJ was born with a congenital heart defect in 2012 and needed three open-heart surgeries. TJ has been living with a modified vascular organ since he was an infant.

Last week, Olsen wrote on Twitter that TJ's modified vascular organ was "reaching its end" and that a heart transplant was a possibility.

Olsen, who spent nine of his 14 NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers, partnered his Greg Olsen Foundation with the Atrium Health's Levine Children's Hospital in North Carolina to create the HEARTest Yard program, designed to raise money for children with congenital heart diseases, per Patra.

The 36-year-old Olsen retired as an active NFL player after spending the 2020 season with the Seattle Seahawks.

In 14 NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears, Panthers and Seahawks, Olsen was a three-time Pro Bowler.