Chiefs cornerback donates $30,000 so first-grader can have heart transplant surgery
Chiefs cornerback Antonio Hamilton never intended for news of his generosity to be made public.
But Hamilton may have have a life-saving donation.
Lamere Johnson is a first-grader in South Carolina who was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome before birth, WRDW.com reported, and he is in need for a heart transplant.
The Centers for Disease Control said hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a congenital defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart.
“Lamere’s had three open heart surgeries by the time he was 3 years old,” Lamere Johnson’s mother Contessa Culbreath told WRDW.com.
The station said Lamere’s grade school has been holding fundraisers to collect money for surgery and Hamilton said he would be covering the rest. Hamilton, who appeared in all 16 games last season, mostly on special teams, donated $30,000.
Hamilton grew up in South Carolina and played in college at South Carolina State.
“First of all I hate posting stuff like this, bcuz I don’t (do) it for people to get attention or notoriety from,” Hamilton wrote in a Twitter post. “I don’t even know how the different news stations picked this up. I have been blessed and it was on my HEART to give and with the help of all you guys we were able to do so and Lamere is going to get a new heart.”
Culbreath told WRDW that her son is on a waiting list for a heart.
“Just continue to pray for us,” Culbreath said, “and pray that Lamere gets a heart soon.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 8:46 AM.
