移植倖存者西蒙·基思（Simon Keith）在維多利亞舉辦晚會

西蒙·基思（Simon Keith）從未想像過自己會看到60歲。 1986年，當他接受心臟移植時，醫生給了他額外的七年生存機會。

Simon Keith never imagined he’d see 60.

西蒙·基思（Simon Keith）從未想像過他會看到60歲。

When he underwent a heart transplant in 1986, doctors gave him a coin-flip chance of surviving another seven years. Instead, he became the first professional athlete in his sport to play with a transplanted heart – and now, nearly four decades later, he’s organizing the biggest event of his life in his hometown of Victoria.

當他在1986年接受心臟移植時，醫生給了他額外的七年生存機會。取而代之的是，他成為了運動中第一位發揮移植心臟的職業運動員 - 現在，將近四十年後，他正在組織他的家鄉維多利亞州一生中最大的事件。

“I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I’d be 60 years old,” Keith said. “We just had our first granddaughter. So yeah, things are good.”

基思說：“我從來沒有想過要60歲的夢想。” “我們剛剛有了第一個孫女。是的，事情很好。”

Keith’s story begins in England, but it truly took root in Victoria, where he grew up and blossomed into a standout soccer player.

基思（Keith）的故事始於英格蘭，但它確實紮根於維多利亞州，在那裡他長大並蓬勃發展為傑出的足球運動員。

After attending Mount Douglas Secondary School, he earned a scholarship to play at the University of Victoria. There, his skills caught the attention of national scouts considering him for Canada’s 1986 World Cup roster.

在道格拉斯山中學上學後，他獲得了維多利亞大學的獎學金。在那裡，他的技能引起了國家童子軍的關注，考慮到他參加了加拿大1986年的世界杯陣容。

But while at UVic, Keith was struck by myocarditis – a virus that attacks and deteriorates the heart muscle.

但是，在UVIC時，基思（Keith）被心肌炎擊中 - 一種病毒會攻擊和惡化心臟肌肉。

At the time, he wasn’t eligible for a transplant in Canada. So he returned to England and received the life-saving procedure at Papworth Hospital in London.

當時，他沒有資格在加拿大進行移植。因此，他回到英國，並在倫敦的帕普沃思醫院接受了救生程序。

After surgery, Keith had the courage to return to the field – this time at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. That led to the start of a professional career in 1989, when he was drafted into the Major Indoor Soccer League. He would go on to play in Cleveland, Winnipeg, Montreal and eventually, back home in Victoria.

手術後，基思有勇氣返回該領域 - 這次在內華達大學拉斯維加斯大學。這導致了1989年的職業生涯開始，當時他被選為主要的室內足球聯盟。他將繼續在克利夫蘭，溫尼伯，蒙特利爾踢球，並最終回到維多利亞州。

Now, Keith is bringing it all full circle.

現在，基思（Keith）將其全部圓圈帶到了整個圈子。

The Heart of Gold Gala and Concert is set for Aug. 23 at the Victoria Conference Centre. It marks the first major Canadian event hosted by The Simon Keith Foundation – a landmark moment for a man who once sat by Lake Cowichan with friends, dreaming of raising $10,000 to help a family in need.

黃金晚會和音樂會的心臟將於8月23日在維多利亞會議中心舉行。它標誌著西蒙·基思基金會（Simon Keith Foundation）舉辦的第一次加拿大大型活動，這是一個曾經與朋友一起坐在Cowichan湖（Lake Cowichan）的男子的里程碑式時刻，夢想籌集10,000美元來幫助有需要的家庭。

“Ten years later, we’ve raised $10 million,” Keith said. “We’ve helped thousands of families, and it’s taken on this life of its own.”

“十年後，我們籌集了1000萬美元，”基思說。 “我們已經幫助了成千上萬的家庭，這是自己的生活。”

Since its launch in 2012, the foundation has supported children undergoing life-saving transplants and advocated for organ donation. That mission remains urgent: as of April 1, 156 organ transplants have been performed in B.C. this year, with 638 patients still waiting. Nationally, as of December, 3,427 Canadians were on waitlists.

自2012年推出以來，該基金會支持接受挽救生命的移植物並主張器官捐贈的兒童。該任務仍然緊迫：截至4月1日，今年在卑詩省進行了器官移植，仍有638名患者正在等待。在全國范圍內，截至12月，加拿大人有3,427名候補名單。

“People rally around a family when a child needs a transplant,” Keith said. “They hold fundraisers, bring potluck dinners – but after the transplant, people go back to their lives. And that family, and that kid, is left managing something that never goes away.”

基思說：“當孩子需要移植時，人們在一個家庭中集會。” “他們舉辦籌款活動，帶來蓬鬆的晚餐 - 但是在移植後，人們回到了他們的生活中。那個家庭和那個孩子正在管理那些永不消失的東西。”

Keith knows that reality all too well. In 2019, he underwent a second heart transplant, along with a kidney transplant. Still, he’s never stopped advocating.

基思非常了解現實。 2019年，他與腎臟移植一起接受了第二次心臟移植。儘管如此，他從未停止提倡。

The gala will be more than a one-night event. The weekend will include a VIP gathering at a private home on Friday, golf outings, and an after-party at the Strathcona Hotel to cap it all off. The concert lineup is still under wraps, but Keith said four major acts are booked.

晚會將不僅僅是一晚活動。週末將包括週五在私人住宅的VIP聚會，高爾夫郊遊，以及在Strathcona酒店舉行的派對，將其全部限制在內。音樂會陣容仍在結束上，但基思說，預定了四項重大行為。

More than 600 guests are expected at the main event, and support has poured in from across the city.

預計在主賽事上有600多名客人將從整個城市湧入。

“I just walk into a room, see one of my old pals and ask for help – and they open their checkbook,” Keith said. “The response has been incredible.”

基思說：“我只是走進一個房間，看到一個老朋友，尋求幫助 - 他們打開了支票簿。” “回應令人難以置信。”

Planning the gala has brought together 50 to 75 volunteers, all working toward a shared vision. And while raising money is a key goal, Keith said success will be measured by something less tangible.

計劃晚會已經匯集了50至75名志願者，所有志願者都致力於共同的願景。基思說，雖然籌集資金是一個關鍵目標，但成功將以不太明顯的東西來衡量。

“It’s not a number. It’s not whether the food tastes good or the music was great,” he said. “It’s that feeling you have inside you. That’s how we’ll know.”

他說：“這不是一個數字。這不是食物的味道好還是音樂很棒。” “這就是您內心的感覺。這就是我們的方式。”

Whether the Heart of Gold Gala becomes an annual tradition is still undecided, but one thing is certain – Victoria was the only place it could begin.

黃金晚會的心臟是否成為一年一度的傳統仍然不確定，但可以肯定的是，維多利亞是它可以開始的唯一地方。

“Victoria’s home,” Keith said. “It’s where I learned to play sport, where I learned to live life, where I learned to love people and to fight. So yeah, there was only one choice.”

“維多利亞的家，”基思說。 “在這裡，我學會了參加運動，我學會了生活，我學會了愛人和戰鬥的地方。是的，只有一種選擇。”