Heather Marucci (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        LIBERTY TWP. — Heather Marucci owes her comeback on the basketball court to a young stranger who died earlier this year.

        The Lakota East High School student plays the game she loves again thanks to a rare operation that transplanted human cartilage into her damaged right knee.

        Before practice this week, the 16-year-old talked about the gratitude she feels toward the unidentified donor she'll never know.

        “It's my second chance ... I can play again. If I could talk to the donor's family the very first thing I'd say is "thank you,'” Heather said.

        Despite a bulky knee brace, she moves with only occasional hesitation, eagerly joining in the physical play under the basket. Two years ago, she was a freshmen standout for Lakota East's Thunderhawks, not only making the varsity squad, but also leading the team in scoring.

        But a knee injury left her in constant pain and sitting on the bench for her entire sophomore season. Three arthroscopic surgeries to repair her torn meniscal cartilage failed and she was facing a life of constant pain and no basketball.

        Dr. Angelo Colosimo, director of sports medicine at the University of Cincinnati and team doctor for the Bengals, determined in January that she was a prime candidate for an experimental meniscus transplant.

        “Heather is pushing the envelope. There are only a handful of athletes in the country who have had this done and come back to playing athletics,” Dr. Colosimo said.

        “She is a great athlete and a sweet girl ... when we discussed this she looked at me and said she wanted to play again and asked what I could do,” he said.

        Lakota East Girls Basketball Coach Cindy Feltman marvels at both Heather's medical miracle and her courage.

        “She is a tremendous kid. She won't quit. So many kids nowadays quit, but she won't,” Ms. Feltman said.

        Heather is working her way back to full-time varsity play by playing half-games with the Thunderhawks' junior varsity squad.

        Heather said her initial reaction to having tissue from a dead person transplanted into her body was fear, “but I wasn't disgusted by the idea.”

        Because of organ donor laws, Dr. Colosimo did not identify or discuss the deceased donor with Heather, saying only it was someone of similar age.

        “I don't know who it was, but I wish I could thank them,” she said.

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