Two sisters are celebrating a very special anniversary this year: the 50th anniversary of one donating her kidney to the other.
Usually organ transplants, such as kidney transplants, last 15 to 20 years if the organ came from a living donor, according to theThe fact that the kidney that Patti Rogers Harris, 68, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, received from her sister, Carolyn Rogers, 72, has lasted 50 years is nothing short of astonishing.At the time, kidney transplant operations had only been around for 20 years, making it a relatively new procedure.
Dialysis is a procedure by which a machine helps filer the blood of waste products, toxins and excess fluids -- which is supposed to be done by the kidneys. "I do know people were being tested and Carolyn was adamant she was gonna give me a kidney," Harris said. "I said, 'Well, we'll see what the doctor says.' [She said], 'I'm giving you a kidney.' And I took it thank you very much."However, organ transplants were much more complicated 50 years ago than they are today.
Between 1954, when the first successful organ transplant was performed, through the early 1970s, there was no national system so doctors of individual transplant hospitals were calling transplant programs to see if they could find a suitable recipient.
"I remember the operating room and they said, 'Carolyn, you've got to stop talking for [the anesthesia] to take effect' and that's the last thing I remember because I finally did stop talking," she said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Skier Mikaela Shiffrin enters new dimension with 50th slalom winMikaela Shiffrin led Paula Moltzan for an American 1-2 finish in a night slalom Thursday to become the first ski racer with 50 World Cup wins in a single discipline.
Read more »
Skier Mikaela Shiffrin makes history with 50th World Cup slalom win, her 80th Cup win overallMikaela Shiffrin’s win makes her the first ski racer with 50 World Cup wins in a single discipline. It was also Shiffrin’s 80th World Cup win overall.
Read more »
Book Digs Deep into Iconic Pink Floyd Album for 50th AnniversaryIt is one of the most famous and enduring albums in the Classic Rock Canon. Listening to it for the first time whether it be on vinyl, CD, or Bluetooth speaker, is almost a teenage rite of passage. And who knows how many joint-and-bong smoking sessions it has soundtracked over...
Read more »
Kim Kardashian Shares Unedited Snap With Sisters Amid Photoshop AllegationsKim Kardashian subtly reacted to fan speculation that she Photoshopped a snap from her family's Christmas Eve party.
Read more »
How San Francisco can tackle two of its biggest issues: office vacancies and housingSan Francisco is facing its highest office vacancy rates in nearly 30 years, while also dealing with a housing crisis. Here's how it can address both issues.
Read more »