Tim Fitzpatrick donates kidney to 13-year-old Elias Manolis in successful transplant
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Apr 25
Tim Fitzpatrick donates kidney to 13-year-old Elias Manolis in successful transplant
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Apr 25
The four-hour surgery took place on March 23 at NYU Langone in New York, with Fitzpatrick, a 44-year-old Long Island resident, donating his kidney to Elias, who suffered from ureterovesical junction obstruction.
Elias was discharged five days after the operation and is recovering well, expected to return to normal activities soon. Fitzpatrick and Elias met for the first time after the procedure, forming a close bond between their families.
Elias will require lifelong immunosuppression medication but now enjoys normal kidney function and looks forward to resuming typical childhood activities. The families, who live minutes apart, plan to celebrate together this summer.
Beyond surgery, what are the hidden lifelong medical and psychological challenges for young transplant recipients like Elias?
One year later, how has a stranger's kidney transformed the lives of both the donor and the recipient's families?
How are new telerehabilitation programs helping improve the physical recovery of pediatric transplant patients at home?
Could emerging technologies like xenotransplantation finally solve the organ shortage crisis for good?
With thousands of donor kidneys discarded annually, what systemic failures are preventing these organs from reaching patients in time?
What motivates a person to undergo major surgery to donate an organ to a complete stranger?