Esmeralda Hutchins is as proud as she is happy today now that she has a new kidney from her daughter, Natasha. Kidney transplants are nothing new, but doctors are calling this case remarkable because Natasha was a match but she weighed 320 pounds, which disqualified her as an organ donor. So she underwent gastric bypass surgery to lose 140 pounds in time to give her mother a kidney for Christmas. Today, the women went back for a check-up. Not only was the surgery deemed a success, but in a news conference, doctors said the patients should be applauded.
"It's very important because among African Americans the donation rate is very low especially among family members, they're scared about the surgery. She had not just one but two surgeries to help her mother and that's a beautiful gift of life. She's a hero basically," says Gaetano Cioancio M.D. and a surgeon.
Mother and daughter were side by side operating rooms for the three hour procedure at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
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