by Sunny Astorga
Staff Writer
Kyle Bennett has received a heart transplant and came near enough to death entering college that he saw his own funeral plans being made.
Today, he is a junior at the University of Houston, a volunteer, and an example to friends and others.
Other than staying clear of sports like contact football, Bennett said no one could tell anything was wrong with him during childhood. He admitted that his lack of participation of sports in school may have helped to push him into excelling academically.
Bennett's consistent A and B marks through his academic years paid off when applying for a Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo scholarship during his senior year at Sam Houston High School in 1994.
Not only did he receive the $10,000 scholarship, but he was also valedictorian of his class.
Today, Bennett is a junior at UH after having attended classes nonstop since Summer 1995.
Besides completing the necessary work for his 16-hour schedule and swimming three times a week this semester, Bennett also finds time to volunteer with two organizations.
He helps out at the Heart Exchange, an organization that promotes organ donation awareness and patient support, and Vital Volunteers, which is associated with organizations responsible for people getting organs by identifying potential donors.
On Feb. 19 at UH Night at the Rodeo, Bennett served as a representative for scholarship recipients and rode in the grand entry parade in a red Cadillac.
Bennett said even his family, at times, makes attempts to keep him from doing so much, but they only remain attempts.
"They try to make me lay down and not do anything, but I don't let them," Bennett said.
One of Bennett's good friends, UH student Daniel Brietzke, recalled a tale that demonstrates how people often judge Bennett without learning his story.
"Kyle was lifting weights and this guy came up to him and said, 'Is that all you're going to do?' He kept teasing him. I finally said, 'I think he's doing pretty good considering he has had a heart transplant.'"
Brietzke met Bennett a year and a half ago in a calculus class. Brietzke admitted he was lost in the course, but it was easy for Bennett. At the beginning of their friendship, Brietzke was unaware of Bennett's condition and said he never suspected it.
He said his first thought when he heard about Bennett's transplant was, "I was impressed.
"It makes you stop and think. I thought a lot about how I would act if in a situation like that. He has handled it the best way possible," Brietzke said.
Brietzke said Bennett has told him he thought he (Bennett) would be lucky to make it to 30 years of age.
"I always tell him, 'Man, you're going to outlive me, the way you eat,'" Brietzke said.
He said he has asked Bennett why, if he truly believes he will only be around until he is 30 years old, he doesn't go out and do all the crazy things he should be doing.
"Kyle has said, 'On one hand, I can look at it as if I have a very limited time, so why would I want to get involved in life? But it's like this also: Nobody knows when their time is up,'" Brietzke said.
Still, Brietzke said he has worried if a day will come when Bennett isn't sitting next to him in class.
Bennett said he does not think of having someone else's heart beating in him - now it is his.
"I'm thankful someone was generous enough to donate it," he said.
Bennett said he wants his story to teach others the importance of organ donation.
"It really can happen to anybody," he said. "It is most important to keep a positive attitude because, if you believe you can't do anything, you are not going to do anything."