Mia Hamm had countless reasons for her family to come together over the course of her historic soccer career, but the two-time Olympic gold medalist remembers one gathering born from tragic circumstances.
The two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion lost her brother Garrett in 1997 after complications from a bone marrow transplant. Years earlier, Garrett was diagnosed with a rare and unpreventable disease called aplastic anemia, when a person’s bone marrow is unable to create enough new blood cells for the body to function normally, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
In 1999, the soccer superstar created the Mia Hamm Foundation to raise awareness and funds for bone marrow and cord blood transplants. Today, nearly a quarter century later, Hamm continues to be an advocate for the bone marrow transplant community and is partnering with biopharmaceutical company Incyte to raise awareness of complications following bone marrow transplants.
In a recent interview with TODAY.com, Hamm reflects on Garrett’s impact on her life and career and how her U.S. women’s national soccer teammates stepped up to support her during a time when she needed it the most.
Hamm, 51, grew up with five siblings — three girls and two boys. Her two brothers joined the family later through adoption. Hamm was about 5 years old when 8-year-old Garrett entered her life.
“We always tease my parents. We’re like, ‘OK, you had … four girls. … You can’t have another girl,’” Hamm recalls. “But if you talk to them, they said, ‘No, we always wanted to adopt,’ and just felt that they were in a good place in their lives and were focused on adopting an older boy, which was my brother Garrett.”
Her parents also adopted a younger boy, Martin, when he was about 2 and a half months old, Hamm says.
“Our lives changed,” she adds. “Garrett was a bit longer of a process just because he was older. He came and stayed with us for a week.”
After some…
Read the full article here
