Aaron Rouselle: A Coach Who Knows to Connect

Aaron Rouselle was athletic throughout his life, playing college basketball and a variety of other sports, including arena football and baseball. He utilized his deep-rooted passion for sports to create and run his nonprofit for kids and sports. In 2015, his life changed when he was told he needed an emergency liver transplant. He was told the situation was similar to a car with a sudden poor transmission. Fortunately, he was able to get off the list for a liver in ten hours. After receiving his liver transplant Aaron was told he would eventually need another one as the transplant he received was a temporary solution and not best suited for what his body needed. Five years after his original transplant, he developed cirrhosis, the scarring of healthy liver tissue. This cirrhosis led to his liver functioning poorly and resulted in the need for another transplant.  

During this difficult time, Aaron’s two children, who were ten and five years old at the time of his first transplant, were not able to fully grasp the situation. The circumstance was quite difficult for the family as they could not see their father for the three months that he was in the hospital. When he finally received his second transplant, the pandemic worsened the distance between him and his family since visitors were strictly not allowed. However, after his successful recovery, they all appreciated every moment spent together. Fortunately, Aaron’s body accepted the second liver transplant as well. Aaron took his experience as an organ recipient to strengthen bonds with others and grow from his story. Aaron traveled to Spain where even though there were generational differences with the other organ recipients, he describes a bond like no other due to their shared experiences. 

Aaron, himself, had signed up to be an organ donor at a young age, experiencing the duality of the organ transplant world. When his niece passed away and his sister sought him out for advice, he shared the value of what one life can do for another, “why not let someone else live?” When addressing the youth who require organ transplantation, he shares that although there are times of self-doubt, you must “move forward.” On the other hand, Aaron also shares that his daughter was inspired to sign up to become a donor as soon as she started Driver’s Ed. With this, Aaron shares why signing up for organ donation is so important: “Tomorrow isn't a promise, so if your tomorrow is not a promise, why not sign up so someone else's tomorrow can be a promise and a better shot?”