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in Los Angeles� akidney donor who was not compatible with the Los Angeles recipient donated a kidney that was transported tosomeone in need in Tampa� and a kidney from an incompatible Tampa donor was flown back to Los Angeles to be transplanted . The final link in the chain was a kidney from an incompatible L . A . donor that was sent to San Francisco and transplanted in a needy individual there .
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Anticipation of the unknown may have been the hardest part of the whole process , says Graw . “ I think the scary part was waiting for the surgery to happen ,” she says . “ I was not afraid Iwas going to die , but I was scared to go under anesthesia , because I ’ d never done it before . But looking back , it was the easiest thing ever . When Iwoke up , Iwas like , �It ’ sdone already ?’ But it was actually four hours .” She experienced some soreness and swelling post-surgery , and some discomfort from gas .“ But aside from that , I didn ’ t feel any pain ,” she says .
A year after her kidney donation , local news affiliates WABC�-NY , FO�5-NY and NBC-NY featured her in reports about how the chain she started saved four lives . She has been assured that , should she ever need an organ transplant herself , she will be prioritized for a living donor through the National �idney �egistry .
And though the joy she receives from knowing she saved lives is fulfilling , she has the added benefit of having received a letter from her recipient , too . “ �e ’ s38 , and he is a married dad with two girls ,” she says . “ And that was the best part of it , that he had two daughters ... I ’ m just so happy for him .
“ I feel like this was one of the best parts about this entire experience , because Ithink of my dad and if there ’ s anything that could have been done to save his life and have more time with him ,” she says . “ Me and my sister , we ’ re two girls . I would have done anything . And to know that this father has many more years with his two daughters , and his two daughters have many more years with him , is just the most touching thing about the process .” ❖
( 201 ) HEALTH 2021 EDITION
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