Rick Slayman, Age 62 — After Over 60 Days Off Dialysis, And Living With A Transplanted Pig Kidney… Has Passed Away.

This is not so much to be seen as a woeful passing (from my perspective) — as it may be a beacon of hope, for end stage renal patients worldwide.

That Rick made it off the operating table at all was a huge victory. In fact, he left the hospital and was living without dialysis — at home, until he finally succumbed now 60 days on — of likely unrelated causes. We have long written about the four decade journey — the journey, that led to this moment — this Slayman success, at Mass General. [Prior to Rick, no patient with a pig kidney had lived more than a week, all in the ICU.]

So. . . here’s just one of those long ago (2009-era) backgrounders — and here is the news of his passing, from the BBC (UK):

…Richard “Rick” Slayman, 62, was suffering with end-stage kidney disease before undergoing the operation in March.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) said on Sunday there was no indication his death was a result of the transplant.

Transplants of other organs from genetically modified pigs have failed in the past, but the operation on Mr Slayman was hailed as a historic milestone.

In addition to kidney disease, Mr. Slayman also suffered from Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. In 2018, he had a human kidney transplant, but it began to fail after five years.

Following his pig kidney transplant on 16 March, his doctors confirmed he no longer needed dialysis after the new organ was said to be functioning well….