Story contributed by Dan O'Connell
Former Millersville University Sports Information Director
Greg Wright underwent heart transplant surgery on February 27 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and is currently recovering well from the procedure.
The SID at Millersville from 1984 to 2006, Wright was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2007 and was put on the list of those needing a donor heart. On February 26, he received word that a donor match had been found.
“My first reaction was one of relief,” he recalled. “It was also one of humility because the family of the donor was so gracious and so kind as to allow their loved one make the arrangements to have the heart donated.”
Two weeks after the surgery, Greg was walking on his own. A week later, he was transferred to the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia. He has gone through intense physical therapy and occupational therapy, spending 90 minutes per day on each.
The 64-year old returned home on March 27.
During his 22 years as the SID at Millersville, Wright became known as “Mr. Millersville.” He received 10 awards for his publications and writing skills from CoSIDA, and was honored in 2004 with a CoSIDA 25-Year Award. He was also the winner of the 2004 Irving T. Marsh Award from the Eastern College Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors Association (ECAC-SIDA). He also served as a member of the ECAC-SIDA Board for three years,
He also founded the Millersville Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Greg and his wife, Vicki, are the parents of two daughters, Megan and Jessica. It is his goal to walk Megan down the aisle when she gets married in the summer of 2021.
Over the past several months, Wright has been raising awareness for organ and tissue donation and research, and for financial assistance to help pay for medical and transportation costs not covered by Medicare or private insurance. Millersville held a fund-raiser for him at a basketball game and CoSIDA and ECAC-SIDA have provided generous contributions.
For anyone who would like to donate, here is the link to his fund-raising page:
https://helphopelive.org/campaign/16704/
For anyone wishing to send a card or note, his home address is: Greg Wright, 350 Cardinal Road, Lititz, Pa. 17543