Jul 27, 2009 11:25 pm US/Eastern
Hopkins Exec Key Link In Chain That Saved 8 Lives
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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A medical miracle pioneered right here in Baltimore saves eight lives and makes world history.
CBS
A medical miracle pioneered right here in Baltimore saves eight lives and makes world history.
Jessica Kartalija tells how the generous act of a Johns Hopkins hospital executive triggered a nationwide kidney swap and why the donor got far more than she gave.
It's an experience that changed their lives--extending one and enhancing another.
"It's probably the most joyful thing I have ever done," said Pamela Paulk.
A Baltimore woman's gift makes medical history.
"If it weren't for Pamela, I might still be on the waiting list," said Robert Imes.
Three years ago, Imes, a 55-year-old loving husband and father, was dying. Dialysis for his failing kidneys barely kept him alive.
"When you get off the machine sometimes, you are so drained, your whole body aches," he said.
Imes, a painter at Hopkins, needed a new kidney to survive. He never expected his friend, Human Resources Vice President Pamela Paulk, would be his lifeline.
"I said, `Robert, is there anything I can do for you?' He said, `Not unless you have a kidney.' I said, `I have one!'" she said.
"People don't usually say that. No, they don't," Imes said.
Learning Imes and Paulk were not a match actually turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving. Enter Johns Hopkins surgeon Robert Montgomery.
"We matched him up with a patient who had a loved one who was incompatible. Then that person gave to another person who was incompatible and you can see how that set off a chain reaction," Montgomery said.
Eight people gave a kidney to eight patients at four hospitals in four different states. Five of the transplants took place at Johns Hopkins Hospital, which pioneered the breakthrough donor swap.
"We are in the midst of a crisis in organ donation," Montgomery said.
There are currently 84,000 people waiting for a kidney transplant in the US. Of those, 5,000 patients will die waiting.
In this eight-way domino, the kidneys came from live donors, who recover in a matter of weeks.
"Right down here, I have a little bitty incision," Paulk said. "That's where they pull the kidney out."
Their organs typically function right away, last twice as long and the patient recovers more quickly.
"Donating a kidney...for me, it was fairly easy," Paulk said.
Statistics show more people are getting the message: from the late 1980s to the late 1990s, the number of live donors more than doubled. The trend continues today.
"It's humbling, very humbling," Paulk said.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Now she's my sister," Imes said.
Doctors stress if you intend to donate your organs after death, just checking the box on your license is not enough. Make sure your family knows your wishes, because they are the ones who make the ultimate decision.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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