A local mother needs a new kidney. Her daughter wants to donate but is not a match. A brother and sister in California go through a similar ordeal. Rather than waiting on a list, University of Cincinnati Medical Center doctors use a national kidney registrar and discover the families could make a perfect exchange.
Local 12’s Tiffany Wilson has the story you’ll only see on Local 12 News.
Last Christmas Eve, Sylvia Rizzo starteD dialysis. Her health deteriorated rapidly — and for the past six months, she’s spent about half of everyday hooked to a machine. Her daughters both tried to donate their kidneys, but neither were a match.
It’s a common problem that a national kidney registrar is helping to overcome through donation exchanges. Yesterday morning Shonda donated her kidney — doctors immediately packaged it up into a box and put it on a flight. For the first time ever, a GPS unit tracked the organ’s progress from hospital to airport to California. This allowed the doctors there to prepare the man who was going to receive the organ without any lag time.
Then, the man’s sister gave up her organ last night. It was put on a redeye flight which arrived here this morning, ready for Sylvia to receive. “I’m glad I’m not going to be hooked to a machine anymore, it’s going to be wonderful.”
“How do you feel that your gift is basically going to give your mom new life? I’m excited. Anything to help her. It’s hard to see her like that.”
Shonda is recovering well. Sylvia went into surgery around nine this morning — doctors expected surgery to last about four hours. Sylvia says she’s most looking forward to spending the night with her grandchildren and going fishing.
via UCMC Doctors Perform First Transplant Using GPS – :: Cincinnati news story :: LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV in Cincinnati.