He fulfilled that dream earlier this month.
It didn't come in the sport he loves, but the accomplishment came with a deeper meaning. Competing in the World Transplant Games had been on his radar since he received a kidney transplant in 2006, but baseball had taken up summer after summer. Until this summer, when he ventured to Göteborg, Sweden, to compete in the games for the first time.
Kainer helped the Texas Longhorns capture the College World Series in 2005, and he hoped to reach the major leagues one day. Two teammates from that national-championship team — Drew Stubbs and Taylor Teagarden — have made it to The Show, but Kainer's dream of playing in the bigs ended in the spring of 2010, when the Cincinnati Reds released him.
At the tender age of 25, Kainer could have sunk into a deep depression, fully aware his days in pro baseball were finished, but the obstacles he had already overcome were much more mountainous than any loss of a playing gig. A childhood case of chicken pox took away the function of one of his kidneys, and while the other managed to get him to adulthood, a lengthy, quality-filled life would come only after the replacement of his sole kidney.
"The doctors told us when he was 2 years old that he would one day need a kidney transplant," said his mother, Kristi. "Now all of these years later, we're so blessed he's doing well."
Kainer's last two college seasons were most difficult, even though his excellent numbers in his final season — a .364 batting average with 66 RBIs — earned him All-Big 12 recognition. He played through frequent bouts of anemia and illness brought on by a disease few teammates knew about. After the season ended, his longtime doctor, Eileen Brewer, told him his kidney function had dipped to 13 percent, meaning he needed a transplant to keep him off dialysis.
It turned out Ron Kainer was a perfect match. On Sept. 12, 2006, he awarded his then 21-year-old son with a gift much greater than a new sports car or a weekend in Las Vegas. Dr. Brewer told me that day at Texas Children's Hospital that she hoped the kidney would serve Carson for 20 years plus. The surgery lasted seven hours, but the gratitude this son feels for his father will last a lifetime.
"My dad doesn't like to make a big deal of it," Carson Kainer said. "When I tell him that the two days that impacted my life the most are Sept. 12 and Father's Day, he doesn't say much, but it was true sacrifice."
Kainer flew to Sweden last month with his wife of eight months, Lacey, and two other transplant recipients — 18-year-old Ryan Flores and 20-year-old Leslie Meigs, who also received kidneys from their fathers. The long flight provided plenty of time to talk, and the fact it was Father's Day weekend added to their bond.
Flores, a freshman at Abilene Christian University, has no memory of receiving a kidney at 16 months of age so he respects Kainer even more. "He knew what was going on so it had to be tougher for him," he said. "I look at Carson as a real role model."
Flores also beat Stage IV lymphoma at age 5. His story inspired his parents to start the Children's Kidney Foundation, which aids families who need financial assistance during medical crises. Kainer has signed on to assist the foundation, which holds an annual toy giveaway at Texas Children's Hospitalin Houstonand a charitygolf tournament at Spring's Willow Creek Golf Club.
Meigs had meningococcal meningitis as an 8-year-old. She survived the disease, but her kidneys failed. Now 20, the University of St. Thomas sophomore is an advocate for vaccination and organ donor awareness.
The three hope to further advance the cause of donor awareness after their weekend in Sweden perfectly illustrated how the selfless act of organ donation can change many lives. More than 1,200 athletes from 51 countries participated in the World Transplant Games, including Kainer, who won a gold medal in the ball throw and teamed with Flores for a bronze in golf. Kainer also played volleyball.
"To see four to five thousand people come to the opening ceremonies was something, then watching those individuals compete after they went through heart, lung, liver and pancreas transplants was so inspiring,'' Kainer said. "They got a second chance at life. Some of the people who won medals had the biggest smile on their face. Some had tears of joy, whether it was for a donor who had to pass away for them to receive that gift of life or for how thankful they were to that person's family."
Five years have gone by since Kainer's transplant, and those closest to him beam when discussing his transition after baseball. He now works in a sales position at Orion Payment Systems in Houston.
The game that defined him for so many years is still part of his life, too. Kainer and longtime major-league pitcher Jason Grimsley own Right Way Baseball Academy, which provides instruction to youngsters. They also are the coaches of a group of teams known as the Tomball Tornados, which consist of players from 10 to 18.
Last year, Ron and Kristi Kainer treated their son, his bride and more than 50 family members and friends to a wedding reception at their new retirement home in Magnolia. The house is located near a golf course, and Carson drives over from The Woodlands to play from time to time. Ron said Carson was an awful golfer, but in recent months, his short game has blossomed, as has his marriage. He and Lacey are expecting a son — Kaden — in late August.
"We're so proud of him," said Ron Kainer, who said he feels great five years after the transplant and will soon turn 58. "He married a beautiful woman and things are going so well. He got a second chance, and he has really taken on that responsibility and made the most of it. He's a good man."
Dr. Brewer still gets text messages from her patient of 20-plus years, and the two had a chance to reconnect at the wedding reception. The highlight came when Carson stood and held up his glass for a toast. "Two people helped me be here today," he said. "My dad and my nephrologist, Dr. Brewer."
Dr. Brewer is reminded of the significance of her relationship with Kainer whenever she ventures into the den of her home. On the wall hangs a drawing illustrating a Texas batting helmet from the 2005 season. Underneath the drawing is a note from the man she calls her medical child in life.
"Dr. Brewer: thanks for keeping me in the game."
Kainer's next goal is to take a contingent of Austin transplant recipients to the next World Transplant Games, which are scheduled for South Africa in 2013. Spreading the benefits of organ awareness is a privilege. More than 100,000 Americans are awaiting a transplant, and he wants to help reduce that number.
Michelle Segovia of the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance said one person can save the lives of eight people through organ donation and also affect the lives of 50 to 100 others through corneal or tissue donation. Ninety-six million Americans are registered as organ donors, but only 10 percent of Texans are enrolled in the state registry. Years ago, prospective donors received a donor card and a sticker for their driver's license, but those names were never entered into a database of any kind, Segovia said. So those interested should sign up at donatelifetexas.org.
"It's a simple decision: Donate your organs and save a life,'' Kainer said. "I knew the number (of people needing transplants) was high in America, but to hear it being discussed in Sweden was pretty painful. We take care of so many crises in this country. We need to take care of our own people as well."
Organ donation
Facts about organ donation in the United States:
Forty percent of Americans are registered organ donors, but only 10 percent of Texans are enrolled in the state registry. Those interested in donating their organs may sign up at donatelifetexas.org.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, more than 26 million Americans have chronic kidney disease, which can be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia and other factors.
About 80 percent of Americans in need of a transplant are waiting to receive a kidney.
Each day, 18 people in the U.S. die while awaiting an organ transplant.
Nearly 10 percent of those awaiting heart transplants are 18 or younger.
Sources: National Kidney Foundation and Texas Organ Sharing Alliance
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