Patient Returns to BWH 30 Years After Transplant to Say 'Thank You'

Edward Samuels can't help but get emotional as he reflects on all that has transpired since he received a life-saving kidney transplant at BWH in 1983.

"I've seen my children graduate college and get married. My wife and I just celebrated 50 years of wonderful marriage. All of this is thanks to the care I received here," said Samuels, whose transplant was performed by the late Nick Tilney, MD, on July 31, 1983.

Last month, Samuels returned to BWH to say thank you and meet with Renal Division leadership to share his experiences as a patient and transplant recipient.

BWH's storied  tradition in organ transplantation  began with the world's first transplant-a kidney from one twin to another-in 1954, performed by the late Joseph Murray, MD, and John P. Merrill, MD. Nearly three decades later when Samuels was a candidate, organ transplantation still faced many challenges, said Joseph Bonventre, MD, PhD, chief of BWH's Renal Division and the Division of Biomedical Engineering.

"Rejection was the biggest challenge, and the drugs to fight it were not as good as they are today," said Bonventre.

Samuels, who suffered from polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a disorder in which clusters of cysts develop primarily within the kidneys, considers himself fortunate that PKD was his only medical issue. When he needed the transplant, BWH was running a research study on the effects of a drug called Cyclosporine. Unbeknownst to all at that time, this drug would eventually help thousands of people deal with organ transplant rejection.

"After agreeing to take part in the study, I put my hand in a jar and drew a piece of paper that had a ‘C' on it, meaning that I would get the drug," said Samuels, a retired businessman who now divides his time between Connecticut and Florida.

After the transplant, Samuels' new kidney didn't immediately begin to work as expected. However, Samuels and the transplant team did not give up and continued to try new medications. It's unknown if it was the Cyclosporine, or another combination of drugs, but after several rounds of dialysis, the new kidney began to work. It has continued to work for more than 30 years.

"Meeting and hearing about Mr. Samuels' experience is one of the rewards of being a physician and researcher," said Bonventre. "It's not about just being able to make someone better, but in this case, being able to see how a transplant gave 30 years of a meaningful, successful life."

Samuels has been a kidney health advocate, participating in local chapters of the PKD Foundation and the National Kidney Foundation. 

"I consider myself very fortunate and wanted to express how thankful I am for the opportunity to be here today and to have lived a wonderful life," he said.

From left: BWH's Joseph Bonventre, MD, PhD, transplant recipient Edward Samuels and his wife, Jeanne, and Anil Chandraker, MD, medical director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation, gather near a photo of the late transplant physician-researcher John P. Merrill, MD.