Rare Kidney Swap Breaks New Ground

BOSTON -- In a rare medical matchup, two families came together to swap organs and help two young women in need of transplants.

Sara St. Pierre, 22, of New Hampshire, had been on dialysis for four years to treat renal disease. Her father, Fred St. Pierre, wanted to donate a kidney, but was not a match.

"When I was told I wasn't able to donate, it was a real tough day," he said.

But Fred St. Pierre was a match for 16-year-old Brittany Smith, who lived about 50 miles away. After a bout with meningitis, Smith had lost function of a kidney that her father had donated. Her sister, Emily, who was not a match for her sibling, was a match for Sara.

Three weeks ago, all four underwent surgery in Boston. One transplant was done at Children's Hospital, and the other was performed at Tufts New England Medical Center.

"I know I helped more than one person, and that makes you a stronger person," Emily Smith said.

Such swaps have only been done a handful of times across the country. New England Organ Bank located the match and coordinated the effort.

"To get two operating rooms together is a feat in itself," Dr. William Harmon said. "To get four operating rooms in two hospitals at the same time, means we had to collaborate very closely and a lot of people had to put in hard work to cooperate and make this happen."

Doctors said the prognosis for all four patients is excellent.

"It feels good to be able to do things that I couldn't do before, like go out, have fun, go on trips, and not worry about, 'Oh, I have dialysis the next day,'" Brittany Smith said.

More than 53,000 people are awaiting a kidney transplant nationwide. Experts said they hope the idea of a kidney swap will be an innovative solution, helping many patients get a second chance.