Charlotte-area high school football coach is waiting for a heart transplant
Denzel Irvin, 26, fell ill nearly three weeks ago, unknowing of his diagnosis and unprepared for what was to come. He soon learned that his heart was failing when he arrived at Atrium CMC-Main and as of Monday, he’s officially on a waitlist for a new heart.
Irvin, an assistant football coach at Butler High School, said he was rushed to the hospital March 29 after struggling with COVID-like symptoms. He was in the middle of a workout when he began to feel sick and requested to be taken to a hospital, later to find out that his heart was operating at just 10 percent. Since beginning medical treatment, he’s suffered a stroke.
“You’ve got to go through something to get to something,” Irvin told The Charlotte Observer as machines whirred in the background of his hospital room. “I don’t believe that God would take me this far just to get me this far. Since I’ve been here, I’ve had a stroke and he (God) brought me out of that scar-free. With everything that I’m going through, I think I am better from it.”
There has been an outpouring of love from the Charlotte community for Irvin, with nearly 700 donors contributing close to $50,000 to cover medical costs through a GoFundMe page on his journey to a new heart.
Irvin is a UNC Charlotte graduate and former defensive back for the 49ers. In the past year, he began building his brand, Get Active Performance Training, where he trains kids and adults 7-years and up on speed, agility, change of direction and strength training.
Former Mallard Creek and current University of Pennsylvania defensive back Kendren Smith has trained with Irvin since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and said he’s had a profound impact on his life.
“He’s a faith man first, and that definitely shows in his battle right now,” Smith said. “The past few years, he really found his purpose. He’s always been training and coaching, but when he split off and began to build his business, he started to be the person he wished he had. It’s just giving back, that’s all he wants to do.”
Performance training is Irvin’s passion, and he plans to work tirelessly to return to the field where he’s impacted youth and young adults.
“You never know the impact that you can have on somebody,” Irvin said. “I train kids from seven all the way up, and you just never know the impact. Some of the things that these kids have said to me, I didn’t even know I had that much of an impact on them. You’ve got to be cognizant of the things you’re doing and how you’re doing them because it could change somebody’s life”.
His impact stems beyond football, and those closest to him have been adamant about spreading the word and doing anything to help.
“The fact that he can wake up and smile every day is incredible in and of itself. He is a real warrior,” said Irvin’s former teammate Tyriq Harris. “He works his tail off every single day to provide for not only himself but his family. He’s such a good man.”
“He’s helped so many of his clients believe in themselves,” added former teammate Hasaan Klugh. “He really just can’t wait until he’s back doing what he loves to do. We’re just keeping the faith right now, that’s all we can do.”
Irvin has been working with a financial advisor to navigate the costs of the transplant, the hospital stay and a lifetime of medicine. The waitlist for the transplant could be long, potentially months or years. According to the Twenty-Fourth Official Heart Transplant Report, there are more than 5000 cardiac transplants in the world each year. There are nearly 50,000 individuals who are candidates for transplantation.
For Irvin, the road to a new heart isn’t linear. But his faith and the support of his loved ones and the Charlotte community continue to fuel him.
“I believe this had to happen for a reason. There has to be something greater on the other side.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 6:00 AM.