"Richard (left) and Ronald Herrick leave Peter Bent Brigham Hospital less than a month after the historical kidney transplant. Richard lived for eight years after receiving his brother’s donation" (Murray).
First Successful Organ Transplant
Breaking the Barrier of Organ Rejection
The Outcome of the Surgery
"It was a start, but they've done an awful lot of transplants since then."
- Ronald Herrick, Kidney Recipient
"Ronald Herrick (left) and his twin Richard celebrate 10 months after Ronald donated a kidney to Richard in the world's first organ transplant" (Getty Images).
"Twin Still Gains"
"The group’s perseverance and skill would bear fruit just before Christmas that year when they performed the world’s first successful organ transplant, between Richard and Ronald. At 11:15 a.m. on Dec. 23, their work not only gave Richard a new lease on life, it ushered in the era of organ transplantation, giving hope to thousands of patients each year whose own organs are failing" (Harvard Gazette).
After the surgery, both Ronald and Richard Herrick recovered very well. Murray had found that a single kidney could still do the job of two as evidenced by Ronald's high functionality and Richard's irregular behaviors had disappeared within a week.
Everything went well for the Herrick brothers after the surgery. Not only did Richard recover quickly, but he had also met his future wife, nurse Clare Burta, during his stay at the hospital. "After his release from the hospital, Richard Herrick came calling. The couple married and had two children, one a teacher and the other a nurse at a kidney dialysis unit" (Adams & Sharp). "Ron and his wife Cynthia, both teachers, later moved to Mount Vernon, and Ron Herrick taught at the University of Maine at Augusta" (CBS).
("Richard Herrick and his wife, Clare, with their two children on Christmas of 1960")
"Kidney Transplant"