PITTSBURGH -- Thousands of people converged in Pittsburgh to celebrate life after organ transplants on Tuesday.

More than 1,300 athletes who competed in different events said goodbye to Pittsburgh during closing ceremonies of the U.S. Transplant Games.

Watch The Report From WTAE Channel 4's Jon Greiner
Raw Video: Jon Greiner Interviews Dr. Thomas Starzl

WTAE Channel 4's Jon Greiner reported the celebration lasted through the 11 p.m. hour at the Petersen Events Center, culminating three days of competition.

The athletes showed the success of transplant procedures and called attention to the need for more organ donations. Many of the living donors also come to the games with the recipients of the organs they've donated.

Tracy Minnear received one of Nancy Brown's kidneys, and both area residents are members of Team Pittsburgh who are attending their fourth transplant games together.

"I have had a blast. I have had so much fun. I'd have to say this is probably the most fun I've had in the four games that I've been at," Minnear said.

"It's given me an overwhelming sense of joy. I'm just so proud of her," Brown said.

Celebrity Ken Howard, who has received a kidney transplant, was the master of the closing ceremony.

But perhaps one of the most heart-warming moments came when the crowd delivered a standing ovation for Dr. Thomas Starzl, a transplant surgeon at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

"He's an amazing man ... He would be up on the floor at all hours of the night making sure that all of us kids were being taken care of and making the progress we needed to be successful." - Jorie Von Ohlen Liver Recipient Speaking About Dr. Thomas Starzl Watch The Report From WTAE Channel 4's Jon Greiner Raw Video: Jon Greiner Interviews Dr. Thomas Starzl

"He's an amazing man," said Jorie Von Ohlen, a liver recipient. "I remember my parents talking about how he would be up on the floor at all hours of the night making sure that all of us kids were being taken care of and making the progress we needed to be successful."

Trine Engebretson won a gold medal on Sunday and a silver medal on Saturday. She gave one of her medals to the family of the girl who donated a liver to her in 1984.

"Pittsburgh is always near and dear to my heart because this is where I was transplanted. Dr. (Thomas) Starzl performed my surgery almost 25 years ago," Engebretson said. "I always had a soft spot for Pittsburgh. But now that I got to meet my donor family -- my new family members here in Pittsburgh -- it's a much deeper soft spot in my heart and I'll never forget this."

Back then, neither the doctors nor the recipients thought anyone could live for decades with transplanted organs.

"Never in my dreams," Starzl said. "We didn't know what to expect."

Starzl said his former dream was for transplant patients to live longer. When asked about his current dream, Starzl said he dreams of more organs available for transplant.

Dale Murdock is the fifth longest-living transplant recipient. Forty-four years ago, doctors transplanted a kidney into him.

"I have to accept it. Considering the alternative I think it's a good ID to be one of the longer transplants, I really do," Murdock said.

The participants and some 4,000 people who attended the closing ceremony said they hope the Transplant Games have made people more aware of what can be accomplished through organ donation

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