DAVID BACA ASKING FANS TO DONATE LIFE
After spending much of the 2006 NHRA season raising awareness for charities such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Mark Hindy Charitable Foundation benefiting the children of the 9/11 disaster, and Alex's Lemonade Stand for pediatric cancer research, Baca suddenly had a close friend on the serious end of a health issue.
"You never want to get phone calls like that," Baca said. "For my family, it really hit home because my father-in-law Frank [Gau] had the very same procedure they were thinking Larry would need done to him a few years ago. Frank came out of it okay, thank God, but we learned back then how serious the operation can be. It's a scare."
As it turns out, the Mayo Clinic medical staff was able to stop the seepage in Meyer's heart valve, meaning he avoided the transplant procedure. He's now recovering in Dallas and is expected to be back to 100 percent within the next few months.
Two weeks ago, Mach 1 Air Services
Top Fuel driver David Baca went numb when he got the call that his former crew
chief and longtime drag racing friend Larry Meyer was being rushed to
Minnesota's Mayo Clinic with heart trouble. The early prognosis was that Meyer
would probably need a valve transplant.
After spending much of the 2006
NHRA season raising awareness for charities such as the Muscular Dystrophy
Association, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Mark
Hindy Charitable Foundation benefiting the children of the 9/11 disaster, and
Alex's Lemonade Stand for pediatric cancer research, Baca suddenly had a close
friend on the serious end of a health issue.
"You never want to get phone
calls like that," Baca said. "For my family, it really hit home because my
father-in-law Frank [Gau] had the very same procedure they were thinking Larry
would need done to him a few years ago. Frank came out of it okay, thank God,
but we learned back then how serious the operation can be. It's a
scare."
As it turns out, the Mayo Clinic medical staff was able to stop
the seepage in Meyer's heart valve, meaning he avoided the transplant procedure.
He's now recovering in Dallas and is expected to be back to 100 percent within
the next few months.
"I spoke with the doctors and they said he'd be back
to his ornery old self in no time," Baca said with a laugh. "In all seriousness,
the Mayo Clinic staff is excellent. They're the reason people come from all over
the world to Minnesota to get help. They're the best and Larry sounds great.
He's relieved to be through this deal."
News of Meyer's plight quickly
reached Baca's Top Fuel peer "Hot Rod" Fuller, whose mother Cathy had a liver
transplant performed at Rochester's Mayo Clinic in November. Together, the two
drivers hatched a plan to try and put the national spotlight on the need for
organ donors. They have since aligned themselves with Donate Life America and
will display stickers on their respective dragsters to encourage fans onsite and
watching on ESPN2 to sign up to become organ donors.
"Mach 1 president
Mike Entzminger and I agreed early on that we want to use our racecar for more
than racing," Baca said. "Don't get me wrong, we're out to win, no question
about it. But we also realize we can give back to the communities where we race,
both nationally and locally, and make a difference. It's been a great ride this
summer with all the special people we've met and the response of the NHRA fans
is always tremendous. I wouldn't expect anything less this weekend.
"It's
a big decision for people to decide to become an organ donor. What Rod and I are
asking is that people at least take a moment to think about the options they
have and maybe realize how many people's lives could be enhanced for the better.
"Rod has invited up the team of doctors that saved his mother and I'm
glad they're coming because if Rod and I end up racing each other I'm sure we'll
try to rip each other's hearts out, as usual. Then at least we'll have someone
there to put us back together. I like the way our Mach 1 dragster is running
right now so we'll see how it goes."
Nationally there are more than
92,000 people waiting for an organ transplant and thousands more in need of a
tissue transplant. One donor can save or enhance up to 60 lives through organ
and tissue donation. Visit www.DonateLife.net for more information.