Vietnam Vet Donates Kidney to Another Vietnam Vet, Who Undergoes Success Transplant Surgery at North Shore University Hospital
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To commemorate Memorial Day, North Shore University Hospital today paid tribute to two Vietnam War veterans who now share a personal connection that goes far beyond their military service and long-time friendship.
When William Kelly, 61, of Flushing, learned that his friend of more than 20 years, James Donahue, 55, of Bayside, was in desperate need of a kidney, he immediately got tested to see if he would be a match. As fortune would have it, the compatibility between the two former Marines extended to the kidney -- the two were a match.
Ernesto Molmenti, MD, MBA, PhD, surgical director of North Shore University Hospital’s Transplantation Center, and his team recently performed transplant surgery on Mr. Donahue, using the kidney donated by Mr. Donahue. At a pre-Memorial Day news conference today, doctors and hospital officials paid homage to the two Vietnam veterans for their service to their country, celebrated Mr. Donahue’s clean bill of health and recognized Mr. Kelly for providing his friend with the gift of life. Prior to the transplant, Mr. Donahue was on dialysis for approximately two years. “This kind of generosity not only serves to reaffirm the definition of true friendship, but it also emphasizes the vital importance of organ tissue and donation,” said Dr. Molmenti. Mr. Kelly and Mr. Donahue became friends after serving in Vietnam – Mr. Kelly served as a Marine sergeant in the jungles of Vietnam. Mr. Donahue was also a Marine sergeant serving in the Bay of Tonkin. “What most people don’t understand is that the Marine Corps is a true brotherhood,” said Mr. Donahue. “You’re brought up your entire life to give a life for another Marine. What my friend Bill did for me just takes the spirit of brotherhood to another level.” Since opening last year, the hospital’s Transplantation Center has performed eight kidney transplant surgeries—averaging one per month. The hospital received state and federal approvals to establish a transplant program after demonstrating the tremendous need that existed in Nassau and Queens counties, an area with 3.7 million people that had been without a locally based transplant program. More than 1,000 residents of Queens and Nassau counties are currently on a waiting list for kidneys. Since the recent Medicare approval to perform transplants, making the procedure more accessible for the communities the Center serves, it is expected the numbers will grow continuously. Media Contact: Adina Conn, 516-465-2620/2600, 516-465-2620/2600 |
