Rick Slayman, a 62-year-old US citizen was in the news for being the first person in the world to have got pig kidney transplant earlier this year. However, his happiness was short-lived as he passed away months after the animal to human transplant.
New Delhi: Rick Slayman was a 62-year-old man from Weymouth who became world-famous for becoming the first ever human in the world to have got a pig kidney transplant in Massachusetts on March 21, 2024 at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Two weeks after the transplant, Slayman was discharged from the hospital for home recovery but almost two months after the transplant, he has passed away. Doctors, who have offered their condolences, have also said that they do not believe the death had much to do with the pig kidney and that the animal to human transplant may not be the reason behind the passing away of Rick Slayman.
World’s First Human To Get Pig Kidney Transplant Dies
As mentioned earlier, the world’s first living recipient of a genetically edited pig kidney transplant, Rick Slayman died around two months after making history, CNN reported. Slayman, 62, received the kidney at Massachusetts General Hospital in March after he had been diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease last year. After undergoing the four-hour surgery at the recommendation of his doctors, Slayman, a manager with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, was discharged from hospital in April.
‘No Indication’ Death Result Of Animal To Human Transplant: Hospital
However, the hospital has emphasized there is “no indication” his death was a result of the transplant. After the surgery, doctors said they believed the new kidney could last years, but acknowledged there are many unknowns in animal-to-human transplants. “Mr. Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,” Massachusetts General said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to Mr Slayman’s family and loved ones as they remember an extraordinary person whose generosity and kindness touched all who knew him.”
Rick Slayman’s Family Issues Statement
Slayman’s family described him as a kind man who was fiercely dedicated to the people in his life. “Our family is deeply saddened about the sudden passing of our beloved Rick but take great comfort knowing he inspired so many,” a family statement as quoted by CNN read. “Millions of people worldwide have come to know Rick’s story. We felt – and still feel – comforted by the optimism he provided patients desperately waiting for a transplant.”
Rick, who had been a patient at the hospital for the last 11 years, had received a human donor in 2018 but five years later, kidney began to show failure signs and he then resumed dialysis in 2023. On getting a pig kidney transplant, Slayman had said, “I saw it not only as a way to help me, but a way to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive.” The operation was performed by Dr Tatsuo Kawai who is the director of Legorreta Center for Clinical Transplant Tolerance.
(Inputs from ANI)