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A pair of families in Los Angeles were united through an unusual organ swap that extended the lives of their loved ones. Joselin Casillas needed a liver transplant due to scarring in her bile ducts, and her brother, Saul Casillas, was initially rejected as a donor. Meanwhile, Jaime Rocha required a kidney transplant due to having small kidneys since birth, and his sister, Kathya Rocha, wanted to donate, but couldn’t because of risks due to her kidney's anatomy.
However, a solution emerged through a groundbreaking four-way organ swap. Kathya donated her liver to Joselin, and Saul donated his kidney to Jaime. The procedure was deemed extremely rare but was completed successfully, offering new hope to both families.
This was only the second time in the world that this type of organ swap scheme was employed. Following the surgeries, both families are extremely grateful for their loved one’s new lease on life. Now, everyone involved is advocating for organ donation, pointing out that if there’s a willing donor who can’t donate for one reason or another, doctors may be able to find another way to get the patient a transplant.
Source: WILX