Transplant patients celebrate pioneering liver transplant program

December 1, 1997

WHO: Nearly 200 liver transplant recipients and their family members--including several liver donors and several patients who are currently waiting for transplants--are expected to attend the University of Chicago Hospitals' annual celebration for pediatric and adult liver transplant patients.

WHAT: A celebration of 13 years of life-saving organ transplants. This annual gathering allows transplant patients of all ages to share experiences, renew old friendships, and provide support and encouragement to those facing the operation.

WHEN: 6:00 pm on Tuesday, December 2, 1997. The celebration includes dinner, Christmas carols, and an early visit from Santa Claus.

WHERE: At the University of Chicago Center for Advanced Medicine, 5758 South Maryland Avenue.

WHY: The University of Chicago Hospitals' transplant team is considered the leading pediatric liver transplant program in the country. The team has performed more than 1,179 pediatric and adult liver transplants since the program began 13 years ago. They now transplant more than 100 organs each year. Physicians at the University of Chicago were the first in the U.S. to transplant a segment of an adult liver into a small child (1986), to divide one donated organ between two recipients (1988), and to use living donors for liver transplants. The world's first successful living-donor liver transplant was performed at the Hospitals eight years ago (from Teri to Alyssa Smith: November 27, 1989). Since then, more than 111 patients have been transplanted at the Hospitals using liver tissue from living donors.

Media coverage of the celebration is welcomed. For more information, contact Sherri McGinnis or John Easton at (773) 702-6241.