More than 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, but only about 40,000 transplants take place each year. Hundreds of people in Maine need a kidney transplant. To mark National Donate Life Month, we’ll learn about live organ donation in Maine, which primarily involves kidney donations. We’ll also discuss the recent transplant of a pig’s kidney to a human.
Panelists:
Dr. Juan Palma-Vargas, surgical director; director, Living Donation, Maine Medical Center
Heather Stephen, registered nurse; coordinator, Living Donor, Maine Transplant program, MaineHealth
VIP callers:
Dr. Aji Djamali, nephrologist; chair, Department of Medicine, Maine Medical Center; he was an external consultant on the xenotransplantation (transplant of the pig kidney); he is a living donor
Shannon Butler, VP of operations, Islandport Press; she donated a kidney to her father three years ago
Michael Butler, kidney recipient; Shannon Butler’s father
Michael Rafford, altruistic organ donor from Elliott
