Simon Keith
Encyclopedia
Simon Keith, was born in 1965 in Lewes
, England
. Simon moved to Victoria, BC
Canada
in 1967. Simon went to Mount Douglas Secondary School 1981-83 where he played on a soccer team with notable teammates Jeff Mallett
and John Hughes
.
Simon played at the University of Victoria
for the Vikings soccer team where in 1984 he was diagnosed with myocarditis
, a deterioration of the heart muscle. In 1986 Simon was the recipient of a heart transplant. The surgery was done in Papworth Hospital outside of London by Dr. Mohsin Hakim
Simon then moved to Las Vegas in 1987 where he played soccer for the UNLV Rebels with his older brother Adam.
Simon has the distinction of being the first athlete ever to have played professional sports after having undergone a heart transplant, Simon was the number one overall pick in the 1989 professional soccer draft by the Cleveland Crunch
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
(MISL). Simon also played professionally for the Victoria Vistas, the Winnipeg Fury and the Montreal Impact of the Canadian Soccer League.
Simon is now the CEO of the Simon Keith Foundation where he is devoted to increasing organ donor awareness. The Simon Keith Foundation is designed to educate transplant recipients. Simon is one of the longest living heart transplant recipients and has lived the majority of his life with his second heart.
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Simon moved to Victoria, BC
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1967. Simon went to Mount Douglas Secondary School 1981-83 where he played on a soccer team with notable teammates Jeff Mallett
Jeff Mallett
Jeffrey Mallett is best known for building internet giant Yahoo! from its start-up phase into the global franchise it is today...
and John Hughes
John Hughes
-Artists:*John Hughes , American film director, writer, and producer*John Hughes , American art director*John Hughes , Irish musician and manager of The Corrs-Clergy:...
.
Simon played at the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
for the Vikings soccer team where in 1984 he was diagnosed with myocarditis
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle . It resembles a heart attack but coronary arteries are not blocked.Myocarditis is most often due to infection by common viruses, such as parvovirus B19, less commonly non-viral pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi or Trypanosoma cruzi, or as a...
, a deterioration of the heart muscle. In 1986 Simon was the recipient of a heart transplant. The surgery was done in Papworth Hospital outside of London by Dr. Mohsin Hakim
Simon then moved to Las Vegas in 1987 where he played soccer for the UNLV Rebels with his older brother Adam.
Simon has the distinction of being the first athlete ever to have played professional sports after having undergone a heart transplant, Simon was the number one overall pick in the 1989 professional soccer draft by the Cleveland Crunch
Cleveland Crunch
The Cleveland Crunch was formed in 1989 as an expansion team in the Major Soccer League to replace the Cleveland Force, which had folded on July 22, 1988. Akron businessmen George S. Hoffman and Stuart Lichter formed an ownership group, named Al Miller general manager and former Force star Kai...
of the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
(MISL). Simon also played professionally for the Victoria Vistas, the Winnipeg Fury and the Montreal Impact of the Canadian Soccer League.
Simon is now the CEO of the Simon Keith Foundation where he is devoted to increasing organ donor awareness. The Simon Keith Foundation is designed to educate transplant recipients. Simon is one of the longest living heart transplant recipients and has lived the majority of his life with his second heart.