All articles tagged with #kidney transplant
A Welsh mother of four, Karen Davey, received a lifesaving kidney from a total stranger after posting a desperate plea on Facebook. Gary Summerfield, who matched, donated his kidney in July, providing Karen with a new chance to be a mother after years of kidney failure and a prior heart transplant. Living-donor transplants can dramatically shorten wait times, and Karen's family says the gift has given her a new lease on life.
An American patient, Tim Andrews, lived 271 days with a transplanted pig kidney that maintained renal function without dialysis before receiving a human kidney transplant earlier this year, marking the longest dialysis-free survival after porcine kidney xenotransplantation and highlighting xenotransplantation as a potential way to address organ shortages by serving as a bridge or destination therapy.
Online posts allege Garnet Harper was denied a referral for a kidney transplant because he hadn’t received the COVID-19 vaccine, but Snopes cannot verify this claim and has left it unrated pending medical records and confirmation from the family and LHSC. Harper died in May 2023 from kidney disease; LHSC’s transplant FAQ historically required vaccination (with possible exemptions) and updated its guidance in 2023, but primary evidence is still being sought.
Carmine Agnello, John Gotti’s grandson, surrendered to federal prison to begin a 15-month COVID-relief loan-fraud sentence after months of delays over a planned kidney transplant for his mother that never took place; he will serve in a minimum-security satellite camp at Fairton, NJ, and was ordered to pay about $1.26 million in restitution plus two years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service.
Carmine Agnello, John Gotti’s grandson, reported to federal prison to serve a 15-month sentence for wire fraud after asking for delays to donate a kidney to his mother, Victoria Gotti. A judge briefly allowed a Sept. 18 deferral to accommodate a possible transplant, but ordered surrender when no imminent surgery was on the horizon. Prosecutors noted Agnello’s loans fraud involved about $1.1 million from a COVID relief program, with funds later used for other ventures.
Carmine Agnello, John Gotti’s grandson, was given until 4 p.m. Monday to donate a kidney to his mother Victoria Gotti or report to prison to begin a 15-month sentence for COVID-relief loan fraud; a federal judge declined to delay, granting only a brief extension. He’s expected to serve at a minimum-security camp in Fairton, NJ, as prosecutors said the transplant isn’t imminent due to Victoria’s infections. The transplant had been postponed earlier; his sentence also includes restitution over $1.26 million, two years of supervised release, and 100 hours of community service.
An international team led by the Medical University of Vienna report that Teclistamab, a cancer drug, drastically reduced antibodies against donor tissue in a dialysis-dependent patient with a zero probability of finding a compatible donor, enabling a successful kidney transplant after 31 weeks of therapy; the patient is thriving and the approach could shift transplant medicine, with broader studies planned to assess safety and applicability to other organ transplants.
Bijou Phillips, 46, received a life-saving kidney transplant five months after hospitalization and dialysis. Her brother Aron Wilson donated via a kidney-exchange; a voucher program helped find a perfect match, and Dr. Veale’s surgical technique at UCLA Health aided the procedure. Phillips shared gratitude on Instagram and posted footage of her recovery, including walking out of the hospital five days post-surgery.
A nationwide NYU Langone Health study found that 48% of people referred for kidney transplantation never start the required evaluation, and only 19% reach the waitlist. Factors such as being unmarried, obesity, living in rural areas, older age, language barriers (Spanish speakers), and lower income, along with the transplant center and region, significantly influence progression, highlighting large barriers before waitlisting.
Daryl Hall, 79, revealed he underwent a kidney transplant from a living donor and is recovering, expecting to return to performing in a few months. He’s previously battled Lyme disease (diagnosed in 2006) and had canceled tour dates during illness.
Sheila Perry, 87, of Wheaton, became Illinois’ oldest known woman to receive a kidney transplant in a March 6 procedure at Northwestern Medicine after roughly seven months on the UNOS waitlist. Medical teams say there is no formal age limit for kidney transplants, and Perry’s good health aside from kidney failure — plus techniques like spinal anesthesia — helped make the surgery feasible. Prior to the transplant, she had been on home peritoneal dialysis since July 2024, which gradually limited her mobility and travel. Now recovered, she aims to resume traveling, visiting museums and spending time with family, with plans to travel to Europe again. The field continues to push age boundaries, with over 22,000 kidney transplants in 2024 nationwide and fewer than 800 performed on people over 75; the oldest US record for a female transplant was 96 in 2009.
Daryl Hall revealed on social media that he recently underwent a kidney transplant from a living donor, calling it a complete success and saying he’s already feeling better and should be back to normal in a few months, with more Daryl’s House performances on the way.
Grizz Chapman, the actor who played Tracy Morgan’s bodyguard on NBC’s 30 Rock, died at 52 after a battle with illness and dialysis; a kidney transplant recipient and former National Kidney Foundation spokesperson, he was known for his on-screen work alongside Morgan’s character and for his collaboration with Kevin Brown’s Dot Com; he is survived by his wife and two children. His passing was announced by cousin Donte Harrison.
Grizz Chapman, best known as Grizz on 30 Rock, died at 52. He battled kidney disease, underwent dialysis while awaiting a transplant, and later received a donated kidney; he also appeared on The Good Fight, The Blacklist, and Blue Bloods.
A 13-year-old Long Island boy with a congenital ureterovesical junction obstruction faced kidney failure until Tim Fitzpatrick, a local dad who learned of the case, volunteered to donate a kidney. After testing confirmed a match, the minimally invasive donor nephrectomy and the four‑hour transplant were performed on March 23 at NYU Langone. Elias Manolis is now recovering with a normal kidney function and will need lifelong immunosuppression, while the two families have formed a close bond and look forward to staying connected.