Ohio State Wexner Medical Center performs living kidney donor transplant chain

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Twenty people have a new outlook on life after a successful living kidney donor transplant chain.

The chain was conducted at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Lead surgeon, Dr. Amer Rajab, notes the joy of completing these transplants.

“I am extremely happy, I mean, literally, I don't know how to explain it, but literally you when you see it, you get your reward immediately,” Dr. Rajab said. “I mean, when you see these patients, literally, you are not waiting a month or week or a year.”

This was one of the nation's largest single-institution living kidney donor transplant chains in one week. The process started in October and was done with 10 living donors and 10 recipients.

One of the recipients, Patricia Petrini, went through this journey with her friend of twenty-five years. Petrini's friend, Carley Fontana, was not her donor but wanted to do everything she could to help her find one. 

“She was not a match, but she went through this journey with me to do all the testing to see if she was compatible with me, to give a kidney to someone else so I could get a kidney from someone,” Petrini said.

For Fontana, it was her mission to do everything within her power to help save her dear friend's life.

"When they called me back and said, we haven't found a direct match for her, would you be interested in participating in the paired donation program? I said of course,” Fontana said. “If this is going to be her shot to get a kidney, I'm all over it.”

The hospital performed twenty procedures in two days. Each day, five donor and five recipient surgeries were done. On Thursday the group came together to celebrate this accomplishment, and for Fontana, it was a heavily emotional experience.

“Meeting the person that actually helped save their lives was amazing,” Fontana said. “It is an unbelievable feeling to know that my wanting to help my friend actually helped ten other people who desperately needed kidneys.”

Though the OSU Wexner Medical Center is grateful and proud of its work, they continue to urge others that the need for kidney transplants is great, and if you are willing to help change someone's life for the better, do not hesitate to give.

“There is over 100,000 people waiting for organs in the United States,” Dr. Rajab said. “Over 100,000 So many people die waiting for an organ, you know, and live donation it, no question. Fill that gap significantly.”

For more information on how you can be a part of the living kidney donation chain, visit the OSU Wexner Medical Center website by clicking here: Living Kidney Donation I Ohio State Medical Center