Heart and Sole: The Dylan Kalambay Story now live on YoutTube

Toronto, ON (April 29th, 2022) – Today marks the launch of Heart and Sole: The Dylan Kalambay Story, directed by Michael Hamilton (Anyone’s Game docu series about high school basketball powerhouse Orangeville Prep; Nash about two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash) produced by Game Seven Media  and presented by Canadian Blood Services, in association with Ridley College.

In November of 2020, Toronto high school basketball star Dylan Kalambay’s world turned upside down. He experienced heart failure at the young age of 16. Over the next six months he had open heart surgery and not long after, thanks to the generosity of an organ donor and their family, Dylan received a life-saving heart transplant. In September of 2021, after a long and challenging recovery, Dylan stepped back onto the court in his last year of high school at Ridley College to pursue his dream of obtaining an NCAA Division 1 basketball scholarship and becoming the first player ever to do so with a donated heart.

As Dylan pursues his dreams on the court, off of it, he continues to try and comprehend his second chance at life, his new identity as a basketball player and transplant recipient, and a desire to connect with his donor family and to learn more about the person that lost their life in order for him to continue his. “I thought it would be inspiring to share my journey with those who might be going through challenges or going through the same thing as me,” says the 6’9 Toronto-born basketball star of Congolese descent, who’s played for Canada Basketball’s U16 national team and for highly ranked AAU basketball club Canada Elite.

“I think this film might connect with people coming from all different walks of life, demographics and cultures, who might not know about the heart transplant process.” Ridley College’s Assistant Head of School Jay Tredway adds that “watching an elite student athlete like Dylan endure this unimaginable illness and surgery and then demonstrate the determination and pure will he has shown to get back to competition has been truly inspiring. Dylan’s experience is real life. I would hope that seeing his story and learning about the good that can come from being a donor will stir more people to register and save lives.”

Watch: Heart and Sole-The Dylan Kalambay Story HERE

Thanks to the generosity of an organ donor and their family, Dylan received a life-saving heart transplant. In September of 2021, after a long and challenging recovery, Dylan stepped back onto the court in his last year of high school at Ridley College to pursue his dream of obtaining a Division 1 scholarship and becoming the first player ever to do so with a donated heart. Canadian Blood Services is grateful to Dylan and his family for sharing their journey and ultimately for recognizing the great need for raising awareness about the powerful impact of organ donation and encouraging families to learn about and talk about this life-saving gift. Produced by Game Seven Media in association with Ridley College.

About Game Seven Media: 

Game Seven Media (G7M) is a creative production company that develops and produces sport-centric and athlete driven content. Drawing from the unique sports and production experience of its founders Kyle McCutcheon and Chris Koras, G7M connects viewers to the world of sport through authentic storytelling and character driven narratives.  Kyle and Chris left Canada on NCAA hockey scholarships and even played against each other, but later partnered to pursue sports content opportunities. After working in Los Angeles for a few years, Kyle returned to Toronto to begin producing. After completing a law degree, Chris remained in California, where he currently helms G7M’s Los Angeles based operation in addition to running one of the largest baseball player agencies in sports, REP1. G7M’s previous credits include The Northern Touch for TSN, about the intense fan culture of Toronto FC of the MLS Soccer League, and the Canadian Screen Awards nominated Anyone’s Game for CBC, about the hugely successful high school basketball program at Orangeville Prep, that counts NBA basketball star and Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray as alumni. Game Seven Media is currently in post-production on an unscripted series with Netflix US.

About Canadian Blood Services: 

Canadian Blood Services operates with a national scope and infrastructure that makes it unique within the Canadian health care system. In the domain of organs and tissues Canadian Blood Services manages programs that facilitate interprovincial organ sharing and works in collaboration with provincial programs and partners to improve the organ donation and transplantation system. Initiatives led by Canadian Blood Services include the development of leading practices, professional education, public and professional awareness campaigns, and system performance data collection, analysis and reporting. Learn more about organ and tissue donation in Canada at blood.ca/organs-tissues. For more information email: media@blood.ca or call 1-877-709-7773.

About Ridley College:

Ridley College is a private boarding and day university-preparatory school located in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada, 20 miles from Niagara Falls. The school confers the OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma) and the IB (International Baccalaureate) diploma programme. Ridley is one of the oldest private schools in Canada, and has the largest boarding program in Ontario, with students representing over 61 countries.

Media Contact 

Dalton Higgins

daltonhigginspr@gmail.com

437 256 2576

@daltonhiggins5