Richard “Rick” Slayman, a 62-year-old man, passed away two months after being the first to get a pig kidney transplant.
He made history with the groundbreaking surgery, done at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
The hospital, in a statement on Saturday, expressed deep sadness at Slayman’s sudden passing. However, they did not link it directly to the transplant; they praised Slayman for being a symbol of hope for many transplant patients worldwide.
Slayman who had diabetes and hypertension, got a human kidney transplant in 2018, which started failing five years later.
His family found solace in the hope he brought to other patients waiting for transplants, thanking the doctors for their efforts, which gave them seven more weeks with Rick.
According to the family, Rick believed in giving hope to thousands needing transplants. They believe his legacy will inspire patients, researchers, and healthcare workers.
Xenotransplantation, the field of transplanting organs between species, is growing.
While pig kidneys were transplanted into brain-dead patients before, Slayman was the first living person to get one.
In 2023, genetically modified pig hearts were transplanted at the University of Maryland, but both patients lived less than two months.
