Update:  Coach G has 2 new lungs and a new kidney! The double lung transplant happened on Wednesday and kidney transplant yesterday - both were successful. Your prayers were essential in this, so please keep those coming as Garland begins his recovery process.  

Original post: As many of you may know, Clarke University Softball Coach, Garland Shirley, is currently in the hospital awaiting a kidney and double lung transplant surgery.  Coach G, as he's familiarly known, was injured during a fire rescue/paramedic training exercise back in 2008 and sustained chronic/life-altering damage to his lungs.  He underwent a double lung transplant in 2017.  All lung transplant recipients battle rejection and Coach G took extremely great care of himself to have made it 5 years (AND through Covid as well).  His lungs have now reached their maturity and are needing to be replaced as well as one of his kidneys. He's been placed at the top of the national donor list to find a perfect match but this has taken and may continue to take time.  Angie, his wife, has been lovingly beside Coach since he went into the hospital.  She will exhaust all of her personal/family leave by next week as she has traveled back and forth between their Dubuque home and Mayo Clinic. We (his softball players, assistant coaches, fans, friends & family) would like to ease their burden a bit by providing gas cards, gift cards and monetary support for Angie's travel expenses and, of course, to provide necessary funding during the months of recovery after Garland is provided his surgeries. This account is one that Angie and Garland will have direct access to all funds (less only a small transaction fee for each donation).  

Coach G has been and continues to be an inspiration to his softball players, assistant coaches, fans, friends and family.  He has professed on more than one occasion that he WILL be back on the field sooner than the doctors' plan.  His tenacity, strength and “no excuses” attitude is to be admired.  It's time for us to give back a small gesture of gratitude for the heart and soul he puts into the important work he does each and everyday mentoring our student athletes.  Please help if you are able.  If you have any questions, please contact Melissa King at [email protected].