Rafiah Cheeks, 41, a Mt. Airy resident for the past 12 years, had serious health problems from the time he was born with jaundice in February 1985.

“Most kids heal quickly, but not me,” he said recently. “I broke my leg when I was 2 years old, and I didn’t heal for months. I needed a tiny little walker just to toddle around. And I was born with a failing liver that affected every part of my body, including bone formation. I can only imagine how difficult it was for my mom and dad, sitting by the phone as I waited for a liver transplant. They worried I would die before I turned 4.”

At the age of 3, Cheeks was fortunate enough to receive a liver transplant at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children from a donor his same age through the Gift of Life Donor Program. He acknowledges that the donor’s parents, on the worst day of their lives, made a selfless decision that saved his life.

Cheeks, a Philadelphia sanitation worker, told the Local last week, “I feel grateful that their decision to donate their loved one’s organs saved my life, and I am here to tell other people about how I am living a healthy life. I know it was a difficult decision as I have gone through this same thing with our mother’s passing.” (Cheeks’ mother, Michele Alford, died in 2021, and her corneal tissue was donated through Gift of Life.)

Cheeks, who says he has had no serious health problems since his liver transplant 38 years ago, is one of 86 local athletes who traveled to Denver to compete from June 18-23 in the 2026 Transplant Games of America as part of Team Philadelphia, organized by the Gift of Life Donor Program. More than 200 people are part of Team Philadelphia, which includes family members. This was the 19th time Cheeks has competed in the Transplant Games in bowling, basketball, and track and field.

When asked why he likes to keep going back, Cheeks said: “I like to meet other teams from different states. The Transplant Games are a way of showcasing how I thrived since receiving my transplant. Since our mother’s passing, we honor her and my donor at the games.”

According to Dr. Antonia (“Toni”) Alford, Cheeks’ sister, “in February 2021, our mother passed away suddenly, which devastated our family. In our time of grief, we received the call from Gift of Life regarding donation, and our answer was a resounding yes. Our mother’s wishes were honored to pay it forward because her son received the gift of life. Our family was grieving, but our mother, the hero, would have not wanted any other way but to donate what she could if something happened to her. We miss her so much, but knowing that she lives on in others and her son is living a healthy life due to his gift of life is the best gift of all to our family.”

At the Transplant Games, organ transplant recipients and organ donors compete in Olympic-style events. Cheeks’ mother began taking him to the Games in 1996 as a chance for him to make friends with other transplant recipients from all over the country.

“Seeing everyone together on opening night, cheering, laughing and crying, knowing that we are only here because of the generosity of another human being is truly magical,” said Cheeks, who grew up in West Philadelphia and graduated from University City High School. “My mom understood it was important to spend time with donor family members. Many of them travel with the team to cheer us on. It’s a special way for them to see the impact of their loved one’s generosity.”

Athletes at the 2026 Transplant Games of America included organ, cornea and tissue transplant recipients and donors who have overcome life-threatening illness — surviving heart, lung, kidney, liver and other transplants — and are now healthy. Team members also include donor family members, supporters and Gift of Life staff.

Gift of Life’s Team Philadelphia has been part of this event since its inception in 1982, when the team traveled to Athens, Greece, for the International Transplant Games. The first U.S. Transplant Games were in 1990.

More than 100,000 people are on the organ transplant waitlist in the United States, and 13 die every day waiting. In Gift of Life’s region alone, nearly 4,500 people are waiting. The Transplant Games amplify the urgent need for more donors — and demonstrate the profound impact of the decision to give others a second chance at life.

The Gift of Life has coordinated 15,586 donors and 43,108 organs for transplants, the most of any organ procurement organization in the country, since the start of its national donation system in 1988. In addition, Gift of Life has coordinated more than two million tissue transplants. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people, and a tissue donor can improve the lives of 100 others.

“Every day, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be here,” Cheeks said. “I look at my little scar in the mirror, faded after 30 years. I have only been on one medication for it my entire life. When I saw my transplant doctor recently, he could not believe how healthy I looked. My donor not only saved my life, but he/she gave me a great life. And I am so grateful.”

For more information about organ donation, visit donors1.org. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.