63

An ’86 Met’s amazing tale of survival and battle to help kids fight kidney disease

Ed Hearn's 1986 ring shimmers as Hearn, 43, is not just trying to raise money and Hearn is one of the good guys, and isn't he speaks. Life can be as unpredictable as that awareness through his Bottom of the Ninth Foundation, it interesting there is a new book out there glorious World Series. The ball went through he is trying to strengthen the country's moral fiber, too. glorifying that wild 1986 Mets team entitled" 's legs to allow the Mets to live their How many athletes are doing that these days? The Bad Guys Won!" Comeback for the Ages, but no one on that Mets "The bottom of the ninth doesn't happen," Hearn Says Hearn, who was traded to the team has been through the kind of comeback asks, "unless the home team, the good guys, are tied or Royals after that magical season for David Hearn has staged. behind, right? Our country is behind in the character Cone and soon suffered a terrible shoulder area. It's time for a character comeback in the bottom of injury, "My mom just read that book and the ninth." called me up and said, 'God bless you, you were an angel. If I had known all that stuff was going on, I would have died.' " The former catcher has survived not one, not Hearn played only three seasons in the two, but three kidney transplants since being majors, from 1986 to 1988, but the course his diagnosed with the disease FSGS (Focal life has taken has allowed him to reach out to Segmental Glomerulosclerosis) in 1991. He's many people. In April, he even spoke before also survived two bouts of cancer. Each night Congress to try to increase funding for FSGS he needs the aid of a breathing machine, research. and each day he takes over 50 pills of "On bad days," Hearn says, "all I have to medication. do is go to the files and pull out some Despite the hardships, Hearn is making letters people have written me and know the most of this delicate life. He is an that I've made a difference in people's lives. I tellpeople I could have played 20 ambassador for the NephCure Foundation, years and not have the chance to a non-profit group seeking the cause of impact the lives I do today." the kidney diseases Nephrotic Syndrome When I ask Hearn if he has heard and FSGS, which often strike youngsters from his 1986 Mets teammates, he from1 to 8 years old old and afflict as many says, "No it's very interesting, and people as cystic fibrosis. it's disappointing." Hearn has remained close with , even naming his son Cody Carter Hearn after the Hall of Fame catcher. Hearn never dwells on the negative. He recently met with Nets center Alonzo Mourning, who also suffers from FSGS. The two plan to work together to get the word out A LIFE WORTH LIVING on the disease. Ex-Mets catcher , who " 'Zo told me to just get the ball into the post," has received three kidney Continued on page 64 transplants and pondered See Touch ‘em all suicide, is dedicated to raising money to fight his disease and lending support to those who suffer from it. 64

"When you get down on one knee and talk to a 9- year-old kid who is going through this, he can talk to me at a level he can't talk to many other people because I've been there. I've done that, and I can hand him my phone number and say, 'Hey, if you get in trouble, give me a call.' "To look up at his dad after you say something like that and see the smile ear to ear, that is what it is all about. "I always thought my purpose in life was to be a big-league ballplayer. I thought that was what it was all about, being the next , but it's not." It’s being Ed Hearn. "God's plan was amazing for me," Hearn adds. "It sure wasn't my plan, but I do believe he has a plan for each of our lives. It's our job to discover that plan, which is usually connected to a test. I thought was the test. It wasn't. I have a passion for life these days I never had on the baseball field." Life is his World Series comeback.

Hearn says with a smile. For Hearn, this and every Father's Day is Touching ‘em all as a special. When 9-year- old Cody was 2, Hearn highly sought after started writing letters to him. "If I wasn't going to be around," Hearn inspirational speaker says, "he could go through all that stuff over the next 10-15 years. He would have something that he could go back and read." Those letters became Hearn's life story and his book, "Conquering Life's Curves," and set Hearn on his journey of becoming a Touching ‘em all: motivational speaker (www.edhearn.com). He is Speaking from experience now, the only current or former athlete from our country’s top professional sports leagues to be You can help awarded the prestigious Certified Speaking To learn more about FSGS and Nephrotic Professional designation All proceeds from his Syndrome, log on to www.edhearn.com or book and most of the of the money from his www.nephcure.org. speaking engagements go toward his charity work. Two years ago I had my third transplant," says Hearn, who lives in Kansas City. "Challenges teach us a lot. You either win or lose by how you face challenges. It's easy when you are on top. Look at the '86 Mets. That team should have won several years in a row, but the stuff that was going on behind the scenes took that team down. That team didn't handle challenges." The challenge was never greater than after his first kidney transplant in 1992. When his beautiful wife, Tricia, a nurse, was at work, Hearn pulled out a .357 Magnum in basement. "When you break a bone, it comes back stronger," Hearn says. "You combine the upbringing with the challenges, and it allowed me to make it through and create a perspective. "Sure, I'd like to have the financial freedom that a lot of guys have who I played with, but I have a wonderful joy through the work that I do," he says.