The world's first pig kidney recipient, Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman, died two months after the operation.
According to BBC, the hospital which carried out the first genetically modified pig kidney transplant confirmed the death of Slayman.
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) informed on Sunday, May 12, “The Mass General transplant team is deeply saddened at the sudden passing of Mr. Rick Slayman. We have no indication that it was the result of his recent transplant.”
MGH said in a statement, “Mr Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide, and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation.”
Xenotransplantation is a process of transplanting organs, living cells or tissues from one species to another.
Slayman's family, in a statement, thanked the hospital and called him an inspiration for many.
The family stated, “Our family is deeply saddened about the sudden passing of our beloved Rick, but take great comfort knowing he inspired so many. Millions of people worldwide have come to know Rick's story. We felt, and still feel, comforted by the optimism he provided patients desperately waiting for a transplant.”
His family further expressed, “We are extremely grateful to his care team across Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Brigham, especially Dr Williams, Dr Kawai, and Dr Riella, who truly did everything they could to help give Rick a second chance.”
The 62-year-old pig kidney recipient was suffering from end-stage kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension before the operation.
In 2018, Slayman had a human kidney transplant, but it began to fail after five years.
