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As U.S. hits 1 million organ transplant milestone, Veteran is grateful for life-saving donation

Veteran smiling
Army Veteran Tyrone Murphy is all smiles at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center’s Transplant Center. Murphy received a new kidney recently on the same day the 1 millionth live organ transplant occurred in the United States.

On the same day that the U.S. reached the historic milestone of 1 million organ transplants on Sept. 9, Army Veteran Tyrone Murphy became the recipient of a new kidney at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.

“I’m very thankful,” said Murphy, while recovering in post-surgery. “I feel lucky and blessed, and I feel really good, too.”

Prior to his kidney disease diagnosis, he began feeling unwell and passed out at work. He began dialysis treatment at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, which he said was harder on his body than the chemotherapy he took for lymphoma cancer.

“I didn’t have to take chemo for long but what really hit me was when I had to start taking dialysis for my kidneys,” said the former Soldier and artilleryman, who spent time standing guard along the Berlin Wall in the former West Germany.

He was placed on the kidney donor list about 18 months ago, and thanks to outstanding care coordination within the VA health system, a life-saving match was found.

Murphy was flown to Houston from Florida so he could undergo the transplant, and while he realizes there is a chance at organ rejection, he has a comprehensive recovery health plan in place for his care.

“VA has been really good to me, literally keeping me alive,” added Murphy.

A significant achievement in health care

“The first successful human transplant procedure was performed in 1954 and the whole concept of transplanting organs is only about 60-70 years old,” said Dr. Venkat Ramanathan, Chief, Solid-Organ Transplant programs at the Houston VA. The U.S. reaching the milestone of 1 million transplants is “historic and exciting”, said Ms. Priscilla Sloan, Transplant Nurse Manager.

Dr. Ramanathan said the moment a transplanted organ is placed into the human body it begins to work. “When a failing organ is replaced by a functioning one, it’s like a light switch being turned on. However, patients must take transplant medications for life to prevent the body rejecting the transplanted organ”

Houston VA has completed 146 kidney and 161 liver transplants. The liver transplant program started 14 years ago here while the kidney transplant program began in 2013.

At this time, it is unclear whether Murphy was the one millionth organ recipient in the U.S., yet the gift of life is priceless.

For more information about transplant services at Houston VA, visit the Transplant program’s page. If you are interested in possibly being a living kidney donor, read more here.

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