We Stand For Care

Imagine having your kidney transplanted into a stranger, while your husband gets another stranger’s kidney transplanted into him. This procedure was completed on October 6, 2009 with Yvette and Fred Aziz as part of an extraordinary cross-country chain of linked kidney donations involving 16 patients and 8 kidney transplants at five hospitals over seven days.

The TEAMWORK at Stanford Hospital & Clinics made it possible for the transplants to be arranged within months, allowing for the complex donor chain to save the lives of multiple patients. “There’s such a shortage of donors out there that when you have a donor, you want to make the best use of it,” said Tania Makki, RN, recipient coordinator for Stanford’s kidney transplant program. “These chains allow patients to be transplanted with a living donor, who may not have been otherwise.”

Marc Melcher, MD, an assistant professor of surgery who specializes in kidney and liver transplants praised the close COLLABORATION among the five participating hospitals, with frequent communication among their nurses, surgeons, lab staff and more. “Remember, some of these institutions are competitors,” he said. “But everyone worked together to do the best for our patients.”

This effort didn’t go unnoticed by the Azizes. “The whole team did a great job, from the lowest level to the highest. Their teamwork is 100 percent,” said Fred, adding, “God bless every single person at Stanford.” The couple’s oldest child, 23-year-old Amal said, “…if it weren’t for Stanford, my father might not be here today. They worked diligently to take care of him, and we’re very thankful.”

For more information about Azizes story and the Stanford Hospital & Clinics kidney transplant program, click here.