DONATE LIFE ORGAN DONATION AWARENESS - GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

Professional Athlete Talks About Rare Disease

Donors On The Diamond Seeks Help

Source: WYFF NBC4

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Landon Powell, who plays baseball for the Oakland A's, wants to get his story out -- and plans an event to get people to help.

"It's called Donors on the Diamond and basically what we are doing is we are having a big party out on the baseball field with a sit down dinner, live auction, bounce houses and kids activities." Powell said.

It's goal is to raise money and raise awareness for organ and tissue donations through Donate Life South Carolina.

Powell, now a catcher for the A's, played for the USC Gamecocks from 2000 to 2004, he was twice named All-SEC performer as well as being named to the All-American team in 2003 and 2004.

He was a healthy athlete, husband and father, then "in January of 2009, I was working out here in Greenville and I collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital and found out I had liver disease called autoimmune hepatitis." Powell said.

It's rare and there isn't a cure.

The disease means he will have to have a liver transplant within the next 10 to 15 years.

Landon said that is why he is using his position on the field to help those off the field.

He said, "there are 18 people that die everyday across the country waiting for transplants, and every 11 minutes another person is added to the national transplant waiting list. If people realize all those facts, they will understand how important organ donation is."