Peer-reviewed article
Follow-Up
This chapter focuses on Deb Porter Gill's and the author's completion of the post-op evaluation, five months after the surgery at the Mayo Clinic. It describes the recovery stories of both women and their trip for Mayo's final testing. The…
This chapter focuses on Deb Porter Gill's and the author's completion of the post-op evaluation, five months after the surgery at the Mayo Clinic. It describes the recovery stories of both women and their trip for Mayo's final testing. The chapter also looks at Deb's kidney biopsy and how she managed to overcome the early signs of rejection with the help of Mayo's aggressive early intervention. It recounts the mini version of the author's original three-day evaluation at Mayo, and discusses her final meeting with her nurse transplant coordinator, donor advocate, and nephrologist, who would provide her final sign-off. The chapter offers the author's narrative throughout her journey, one of the most profoundly meaningful experiences of her life. It critiques why people idealized her actions, hailing her as a hero or a living saint. Ultimately, the chapter seeks to understand the living organ donors' unique place in the medical system.
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About the author
John D. Lantos is a pediatrician and bioethicist writing on AI in medicine, neonatal intensive care, and end-of-life decisions. His essays appear in JAMA, JAMA Pediatrics, the Hastings Center Report, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Aeon. Read more about John.