Health | Pinja Ekström was already preparing to die, but got a new life: “I’m really grateful to him”

Pinja Ekström, 39, last season was a sporting dream come true as he celebrated transplant 400m gold at the World Transplant Games in Australia. Summer also brought a new record of 65.78.

“The World Championship was my big dream. I had won silver twice before, and now I finally achieved my goal.”

The physiotherapist from Lahti also has seven European Championship gold medals from different running distances, as well as duller medals from the European Championship and World Championship level.

Before starting his sports career, Ekström struggled for his life due to sudden liver problems. The symptoms started in 2010 while on vacation in Italy.

“I had severe stomach pains and vomited. I thought they were related to something from the food or the heat.”

Since the situation did not change in a couple of days, Ekström went to the emergency room.

“Tests showed liver and kidney failure, I was sent to a bigger hospital in the intensive care unit. I was terribly frightened, and besides, my health began to deteriorate rapidly.”

in Italy while Ekström was already being discussed about a liver transplant. It was decided to fly him to Helsinki by ambulance.

“I arrived safely in Finland. During the trip I thought about death, I didn’t think I would survive. The cause of the liver symptoms was also unknown, and the cause was not clarified later either.”

After a few days in the hospital’s intensive care unit, it was determined that Ekström would not survive for long without a new liver, and a Nordic emergency search was conducted in light of this. He also received dialysis for kidney failure.

“While I was in the hospital, I prepared to die. I went through the matter in my mind, even though I was heavily medicated.”

Fortunately, a new liver was found quickly. The organ transplant was performed two weeks after the onset of symptoms.

“The body accepted the new liver well. However, the surgical wound could not be closed for a couple of days due to complications, and I had to undergo two additional surgeries. I also had my spleen removed in the operation.”

He woke up a week after the transplant, and the recovery began. It was a new feeling.

“Even though I can’t thank the liver donor, I’m really grateful to him.”

Ekström had played sports before the liver transplant, had a half marathon in mind and a marathon in mind. However, the doctor was on different lines.

“He didn’t recommend longer runs, so I left them.”

A couple of years after the organ transplant, the Lahti resident met the team leader of the national team who received the organ transplant.

“I heard from him for the first time about sports opportunities for transplant recipients. It ignited a new spark.”

“I started searching the internet for the results of different running sports. Finally, in 2014, I started systematic training with a coach. In the beginning, I tried distances from one hundred to eight hundred meters, four hundred meters was finally selected as my number one sport.”

Ekström, who is studying for a master’s degree in sports medicine, also competes a lot in the general series.

“It’s very motivating, although of course I can’t succeed with them. One of the reasons for this competition is also that para-athletes have very few competitions of their own.”

In the winter season, the aim is the WC indoor competitions for para-athletes and the European Championships for those who have received an organ transplant in the summer. Ekström says, however, that this is a year that will pass under the terms of training.

“My goal is the World Cup in 2025. I aim to improve my running technique there, and possible further success before those games is just an added plus.”