THIS PROGRAM IS MADE BY MPT TO SERVE ALL OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS.

THANK YOU.

FROM MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION THIS IS "DIRECT CONNECTION" WITH JEFF SALKIN.

>> Jeff: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO YOUR "DIRECT CONNECTION" COMING UP TONIGHT WE WILL GET ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT FAST-MOVING MEDICAL ADVANCES IN TRANSPLANTING ORGANS FROM ANIMALS INTO PEOPLE.

THAT'S COMING UP.

BUT WE BEGIN WITH A SOLEMN DAY, ESPECIALLY FOR MEMBERS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

A SHORT TIME AGO BALTIMORE CATHOLICS ATTENDED A MEMORIAL MASS FOR POPE FRANCIS WHO DIED TODAY AT THE AGE.

88.

THE POPE HAD RECENTLY BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR PNEUMONIA BUT RALLIED TO AMERE BEFORE THE FAITHFUL GATHERED AT THE VATICAN FOR EASTER.

WE SPOKE WITH THE ARCHBISHOP OF BALTIMORE WILLIAM LORI WHO IS MAKING PLANS TO ATTEND THE POPE'S FUNERAL IN ROME.

>> POPE FRANCIS' LEADERSHIP OF THE CHURCH HAS BEEN I AM NENTSDLY PASTORAL.

HE IS BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, A PASTOR OF SOUTHS.

AND -- SOULS.

AND A PACHTER WHO IS -- PACHTER WHO IS CONCERNED TO REACH OUT TO THOSE NEGLECTED, THOSE ON THE MARGINS, THOSE WHO ARE AND HE HAS TURNED THE GAZE OF THE CHURCH TO DO TOWARD THOSE WHO ARE MARGINALIZED AND IN NEED.

I THINK ABOUT HIS GRE LOVE FOR THOSWHO ARE MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.

HIS PERSONAL ATTENTION TO THEM.

HIS LOVE FOR THE POOR OF ROME AND THIS CONCERN FOR THOSE WHO WERE VICABILITY FROM HIS WINDOW, HE WAS RIGHT THERE FOR THEM.

HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, BECAUSE HE RECOGNIZED FIRST OF ALL THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS OUR WORLD IS GOD'S GIFT TO US IT'S HOME OF HUMANITY AND HE ALSO RECOGNIZED THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS ESPECIALLY HARD ON POOR AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

AND POPE SPOKE BEAUTIFULLY ABOUT WHAT HE CALLED HUMAN ECOLOGY, THAT IS TO SAY THE WHAT GOD HAS CREATED IN THE HUMAN SPIRIT.

AND THAT THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHO WE ARE AS HUMAN BEINGS AND THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN.

IT WAS A VERY INSIGHTFUL DEFENSE OF BOTH THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN DIGNITY IN ONE FELL SWOOP.

I THINK THE POPE'S GREAT LOVE FOR ORDINARY CATHOLICS AND A DESIRE TO HEAR THEIR VOICE EVEN SOMETIMES WHEN T VOICES DID NOT AGREE WITH EACH OTHER, WHEN THE VOICES WERE A LITTL BIT DISCORD, THE POPE IS A PASTOR WHO WAS PATIENT AND LOVING AND HAD A VERY MUCH OF AN OPEN HEART.

>> Jeff: IT CAN BE A LONG WAY FROM VATICAN CITY T BALTIMORE FROM BUENOS AIRES TO ROME FOR THAT MATTER.

SO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU FEEL HIS VISION FOR THE CHURCH, HIS MESSAGE TO CATHOLICS, FILTERED DOWN SUCCESSFULLY TO PARISHES HERE IN MARYLAND?

>> FST OF ALL, I THINK THERE IS GREAT AFFECTION FOR POPE FRANCIS ALL AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE.

EVERYPLACE I GO I HEAR HOW PEOPLE LOVE POPE FRANCIS.

AND I WOULD SAY THAT IN A COUPLE OF THINGS COME TO MIND BY WAY OF HIS BIG INFLUENCE UPON US.

NUMBER ONE, HIS CALL FOR DIOCESES AND PARISHES TO UNDERGO WHAT HE CALLS A MISSIONARY CONVERSION.

NOT TO BE LOOKING INWARD BUT TO BE LOOKING OUTWARD.

OUTWARD TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE YET TO HEAR THE GOSPEL.

THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ALIENATED.

THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN AWAY AND HE TOLD US RELENTLESSLY NOT TO STAY HOME AND KEEP DOING THINGS THE SAME WAY.

BUT TO PRACTICE MISSIONARY CREATIVITY.

AND FINDING WAYS TO GO OUT AND ENGAGE.

AT THAT TIME HAS BEEN SOMETHING I HAVE STRIF EN TO UNDERLINE.

I'VE WRITTEN THREE PASTORAL LETTERS FAILURE OF IMAGINATION ON MY PART CALLED A LIGHT BRIGHTLY VISIBLE TALKING ABOUT HOW IT IS WE ARE TO ENGAGE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBHOODS SURROUNDING OUR PARISHES.

THAT NUMBER ONE.

WHAT IS KNOWN AS SEN DALTD A FOR GREEK WORD MEANING JOURNEYING TOGETHER.

SO WHILE THE CHURCH YES THE HIERARCHY, NONETHELE IT'S ONE FAMILY AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE STRIVE TO LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER.

SO WHEN IT CAME TIME TO REALIGN PARISHES HERE, I LOOKED AT THE POPE'S WRITINGS AND EXER ISTATIONS ON BEING A SIN DELL CHURCH AND ASKED MYSELF ISN'T THIS THE WAY WE SHOULD ATTEMPT TO DO THIS?

AND OVER THE COURSE OF A COUPLE OF YEARS, WE ENGAGED ABOUT 6,000 PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS.

AND THE FINAL MAP WAS PROPOSED BY 250 PEOPLE FROM ACROSS BALTIMORE AND ITS ENVIRONMENT.

DOESN'T MEAN EVERYONE WAS HAPPY.

NO ONE EVER IS FULLY HAPPY.

BUT IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO TAKE WHAT HE SAID ABOUT SIN DAHLTY AND APPLY IT AND WE LEARNED A LOT IN THE PROCESS.

THE THIRD IS HIS LOVE FOR THE POOR.

AND WHETHER I'M VISITING OUR COUNTIES IN MOUNTAIN MARYLAND OR WHETHER I'M IN WEST BALTIMORE, OR OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTIES, WHEN JESUS SAID THE POOR WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU, THAT'S VERY, VERY TRUE HERE.

THE POPE'S CALL TO BE ENGAGED AND LOVING IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE ARCHDIOCESE, THE CATHOLIC CHARITIES, THE SAME ST. PAUL SOCIETY AND ALSO IN THE VERY PERSONAL MINISTRIES THAT GO ON IN THE LIFE OF OUR PARISHES.

FOR EXAMPLE, KNOWING THE HOMELESS IN BALTIMORE NOT AS A PROBLEM OR AS A STATISTIC, KNOWING THEIR NAMES KNOWING THEIR HISTORIES.

KNOWING WHO THEY ARE.

I THINK THE POPE HAS HAD A BIG INFLUENCE IN THO THREE WAYS BUT MANY MORE AS WELL.

>> Jeff: THE POIGNANCY OF HIS PASSING ON EASTER MONDAY, AFTER THE JOY OF EASTER SUNDAY, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?

>> WHEN I RECEIVED THE NEWS PRETTY MUCH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, THAT THE POPE HAD DIED THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT CROSSED MY MIND.

MY GOODNESS, HE WENT HOME TO GOD JUST AS THE CHURCH IS CELEBRATING THE RESURRECTION.

WE'RE VERY SAD THAT THE HOLY FATHER DIED.

BUT IF ONE HAD TO CHOOSE A MOMENT TO GO HOME TO GOD, THIS WOULD BE IT.

A TIME WHEN THE CHURCH IS REALLY SO BEAUTIFULLY AND SO SOLEMNLY FOCUSED ON THE LORD'S VICTORY OVER DEA.

YOU KNOW, THE POPE DESIGNATED 2025 AS A JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE.

AND SAID IN HIS ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS JUBILEE OF HOPE THAT THE LORD'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION IS THE FOCUS OF OUR HOPE.

AND SO THE POPE LEFT US AT EASTER AND HE WENT HOME TO THE HOUSE OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER VERY MUCH AS A PILGRIM OF HOPE.

THE POPE WHO WALKED WITH US ON EARTH IS NOW WALKING AHEAD OF US.

>> Jeff: YOU KNOW, FOR MOST OF US POPE FRANCIS WAS A FIGURE, BUT FOR YOU, SOMEONE YOU WERE IN PERSONAL CONTACT WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS.

I'M THINKING ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF CHARACTER, THE FORTITUDE TO GET THROUGH HIS PHYSICAL CHALLENGES OF RECENT TIMES, TO BE THERE AT ST. PETERS IN A POPE MOBILE ON EASTER.

>> SO CHARACTERISTIC OF POPE FRANCIS.

THAT HE WOULD DEFY THE DOCTOR'S ORDERS BECAUSE OF IT WAS FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO HIM TO BE WITH THE PEOPLE THAN TO BE IN HIS ROOM CONVALESCING.

AND I THINK HE WAS, YOU KNOW, I THINK AT THE END OF LIFE WE HAVE A SENSE THAT OUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

I THINK HE KEENLY HAD THAT SENSE.

I THINK HE WANTED TO BE ONE MORE TIME WITH HIS PEOPLE.

AND THE CERTAIN WAY TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO THEM.

AND FROM WHAT I KNOW OF HIM, HE HAD THE STRONG WILL.

HE SUMMONED ALL HIS STRENGTH AND AGAINST ALL ODDS, HE WENT OUT THERE AND GREETED THE PEOPLE.

AND YOU KNOW HE COULDN'T TALK VERY MUCH BUT HE RAISED HIS HAND IN BLESSING AND JUST HIS PRESENCE POPE OFTEN SPOKE ABOUT ACCOMPANYING ONE ANOTHER IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH.

HE ACCOMPANIED US ONE LAST TIME YESTERDAY.

AND THE IMAGES OF THAT WILL BE IN OUR MEMORY FOREVER.

I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE POPE MANY TIMES.

I ALWAYS FOUND HIM CORDIAL, VERY HUMAN, VERY DOWN TO EARTH, VERY FOCUSED NOT ON SOME AREA ABSTRACTION, BUT ON THE MATTER AT HAND.

THE POPE LOOKED AT WHAT WAS BEFORE HIM IN IN ITS CONCRETE REALITY.

AND ADDRESSED IT IN THE LIGHT OF FAITH.

AND A GREAT EXAMPLE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH.

IT'S EASY TO TAKE REFUGE IN ABSTRACTIONS, A LITTLE HARDER TO LOOK A PROBLEM IN THE EYE AND SAY WHAT DOES THE FAITH SUGGEST TO DO ABOUT THIS?

>> Jeff: HIS EXCELLENCESY WILLIAM LORI THE ARCHBISHOP OF BALTIMORE WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JEFF.

[♪♪] >> Jeff: JOINING US NOW IN THE STUDIO TO TALK ABOUT YOUR HEALTH IS Dr. RAPHAEL MEIER TRANSPLANTS SURGEON AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

YOUR FIELD THE NUMBER KEEPS INCREASING BUT THE NEED KEEPS INCREASING AS WELL.

WE CAN'T KEEP UP.

>> GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

YES, THAT'S CORRECT.

THE WAITING LIST FOR ORGANS IS INKEYSING EVERY YEAR MORE PATIENTS ARE ADDED TO IT.

>> Jeff: WE HAVE A CHART A GRAPH THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT SHOWS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME ON THE BOTTOM, HOW POTENTIAL KIDNEY PEOPLE WITH KIDNEY FAILURE DO THE TOP LINE IN GREEN IS PEOPLE WHO GET A LIVING DONOR TRANSPLANT BELOW THAT DECEASED BELOW THAT WAITING LIST AND WITHOUT A TRANSPLANT WITH DIALYSIS, THE PROSPECT CAN BE DIFFICULT.

>> CORRECT.

BASICALLY WHAT IT SHOWS THE PATIENT DO NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO GET A TRANSPLANT, THE CHANCE TO UNFORTUNATELY TO PASS AWAY OR DIE WHILE ON DIALYSIS IS ABOUT 50% AFTER FIVE YEARS.

AND FOR THOSE WHO GET THE CHANCE TO GET A LIVING DONOR OR A DECEASED DON AUTHORIZE KIDNEY TRANSPLANT THE CHANCE TO SURVIVE FIVE YEARS ARE UP TO 90s PLUS.

>> Jeff: AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE FRONTIER THIS FIELD WHICH IS XENO TRANS PLAN TAILINGS AND THAT IS ANIMAL TO HUMAN?

>> CORRECT.

TO TRY TO FILL THE GAP FOR ALL THE PATIENTS WHO ARE DON'T GET A CHANCE TO GET LISTED FOR A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT BECAUSE THEY HAVE CONTRAINDICATIONS AND ALSO BECAUSE WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS ORGAN SHORTAGE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ORGANS FOR EVERYBODY.

WE'RE TRYING TO FILL THE GAP BY COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS.

AND ONE OF THEM IS PIG TO HUMAN XENO TRANSPLANT.

>> THERE HAVE BEEN EARLY EFFORTS AND SOME OPTIMISM FROM THAT?

>> CORRECT.

SO AT UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND WE DID THE FIRST CASE IN THE WORLD IN THE LIVING PATIENT THAT WAS A HEART TRANSPLANTED TO SOMEONE WHO HAD NO OTHER OPTION AND WOULD HAVE DIED IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT A TRANSPLANT.

AND YOU KNOW, WE LEARNED SO MUCH.

THE PATIENT SURVIVED FOR TWO ADDITIONAL MONTHS WHICH WAS AMAZING AT THAT TIME.

AND WE WERE THEN FOLLOWED BY OTHER U.S. INSTITUTIONS IN BOSTON AND IN NEW YORK WHO PROCEEDED WITH OTHER TRANSPLANTSES INVOLVING KIDNEY XENO TRANSPLANT AS WELL.

AND FOUR HAVE BEEN DONE SO FAR.

>> Jeff: IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION SEND US A QUESTION BY E-MAIL LIVE QUESTIONS AT MPT.ORG.

THE CHALLENGE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS REJECTION.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> SO THE BODY IS DESIGNED TO DESTROY WHATEVER IS FOREIGN.

AND YOU HAVE THIS PHENOMENON BETWEEN HUMAN TO HUMAN TRANSPLANT AT A LESSER EXTENT BUT STILL SOMETHING WE HAD TO WORK FOR DECADES AND DECADES TO OVERCOME.

AND IN XENO TRANSPLANT IT'S BASICALLY THE MOST DIFFICULT SITUATION.

BECAUSE THE ORGAN FROM THE PIGS DESPITE ALL THE GENETIC MODIFICATIONS THAT WE DO THESE DAYS TO INCREASE THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE ORGAN THERE'S STILL MANY WHAT WE CALL ANTIGENS THEY ARE SMALL PARTICLES IN THE KIDNEY THAT ARE RECOGNIZED BY US, BY HUMANS, AND WE START PRODUCING ANTIBODIES AGAINST THEM.

AND THEN THE REJECTION PROCESS TAKES ON.

WE HAVE TO GIVE IMMUNOSUPPRESSERS TO BLOCK THAT AND WE DO GENETIC MODIFICATIONS TO ALLOW THE KIDNEY TOE LESS WHAT WE CALL IUNOGENETIC.

>> Jeff: IS THERE A RANGE.

HOW MUCH YOU CAN SUPPRESS SOMEBODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM DEPENDING WHAT HAS BEEN TRANSPLANTED?

HOW MUCH IMMUNE SUPPRESSION IS NEEDED TO PREVENT A FULL REJECTION?

>> THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.

WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.

BECAUSE IT'S ALL A BALANCE.

IF YOU IMMUNOSUPPRESS AND GIVE TOO MUCH ANTI-REJECTION THEY ARE AT GREATER RISK OF INFECTION AND THE MORE YOU PUSHHE GREATER IS THE RISK.

ON THE OTHER SIDE IF YOU DON'T GIVE ENOUGH YOU ARE AT RISK OF REJECTION.

IF YOU PUSH IT TOO FAR YOU CAN HAVE INFECTIONS THAT CAN INJURY THE LIFE OF THE RECIPIENT.

THERE IS A LIMIT.

>> Jeff: IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THESE PARTICULAR ORGANS, KIDNEYS IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE WE KNOW CERTAIN ANIMAL TISSUES THEY CAN HEART VALVES HAVE BEEN USED IN PEOPLE FOR A LONGTIME.

>> THAT'S ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION.

HEART VALVES ARE WHAT WE CALL SO BASICALLY WE WASH THEM OF THEIR CELLS AND THE ANTIGENS THAT I MENTIONED, THE MOLECULES THAT ARE GIVING THE REASON FOR REJECTION ARE WASHED AWAY.

SO ONLY THE SCAFFOLD REMAINS.

AND THOSE LAST MUCH, MUCH LONGER.

AND WE RECENTLY OBSERVED AT THAT TIME HEART VALVES MIGHT ALSO CAUSE TO SOME DEGREE SOME SORT OF VERY, VERY SLOW ONGOING REJECTIONS.

>> Jeff: HOW OPTIMISTIC ARE YOU WHEN YOU STUDY THIS, WHEN YOU WORK ON IT IN YOUR LAB, WHEN YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES DEAL WITH HEARTS AND OTHER THINGS, OTHER MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS, IF WE LOOK DOWN THE HORIZON 10 YEARS, IS THIS GOING TO BE COMMON?

>>ELL, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SAY.

THERE WAS A SAYING IN THE FIELD THAT WE SAY THE FUTURE OF TRANSPLANTATION IS GOING TO REMAIN IN THE FUTURE.

AND IT WAS PROVEN WRONG.

AND AGAIN, WE STARTED IT I THINK WE WERE THAT WAS WHEN I FIRST SAW THAT HEART STARTED TO BEAT, I HAD THE IMPRESSION I WAS MISSING WITH HISTORY.

AND WE HEARD IT FOR SO MANY YEARS IT WOULD NEVER COME THAT WHEN IT CAME IT WAS REALLY LIKE SCIENCE FICTION.

NOW WE FACE NEW CHALLENGES.

AND WE LEARN SO MUCH.

IT IS A STEP WISE PROCESS.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AGAIN IN A VERY, VERY MUCH LEARNING PROCESS.

I WOULD SAY IN 10 YEARS, I WOULD EXPECT SOME TRIALS WOULD BE GOING ON VERY WELL AROUND THE TRIALS WITH PATIENTS WITH NO OTHER OPTIONS.

I WOULD NOT EXPECT IT WOULD BE THE MAINSTREAM YET AND THE MAIN INDICATION FOR TRANSPLANT.

>> Jeff: VIEWER QUESTION THIS IS BILL WANTS TO KNOW DO THE ANIMAL ORGANS UNDERGO ANY TREATMENT OR MODIFICATION BEFORE BEING TRANSPLANTED INTO THE HUMAN RECIPIENT?

I'VE READ ABOUT GENETIC MODIFICATIONS.

BEYOND THAT, YOU MENTIONED HOW THE HEART VALVES CAN BE TREATED.

IS THERE ANY ABILITY TO DO THAT?

>> WELL, THE LIVING ORGAN HAS TO BE PHYSIOLOGYLY ACTIVE NO WE CANNOT WASH THEM OF THEIR CELLS.

THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES OF MODIFICATIONS.

AND YES, WE CAN MODIFY THE ORGAN SO THEY ARE MORE COMPATIBLE.

THE NUMBER ONE MODIFIES THE SUGARS ON TOP OF EVERY PIG ORGAN ARE NOT COMPLETELY RECOGNIZED BY THE HUMAN BODY.

AND THOSE SUGARS WHAT WE CALL THE KNOCKOUT.

THERE ARE THREE MAIN ENZYMES FOR THE SUGARS THAT ARE KNOCKED OUT.

THAT IS WHAT WE HEAR TRIPLE KNOCKOUT PIG.

AND ON TOP OF THAT, THERE ARE GENESDDED AND SOMETIMES YOU WILL SEE THE TERM TRANS GENE MEANING WE ADD GENES FOR EXAMPLE FOR COAGULATION OR FOR A COMPLIMENT ANOTHER MOLECULE THAT IS INVOLVED IN THE REJECTION AND COAGULATION AND THEY ARE ADDED TO ENHANCE THE RECOGNITION AS NOT FOREIGN IN THE HUMAN BODY.

AND THE LAST ONE CONCERNS GENETIC MODIFICATION TO REMOVE ANY PIG VIRUSES FOR EXAMPLE THERE IS A VIRUS THAT THE PIG HAVE WE DON'T KNOW AND WE DON'T THINK IT HAS CONTACT IN HUMAN BUT TO BE COMPLETELY SAFE WE REMOVE THEM FROM THE GENOMES SO THEY ARE ABSENT.

THOSE ARE THE THREE KINDS OF MODIFICATIONS WE ARE USING RIGHT NOW.

>> Jeff: ARE TRE POTENTIAL ETHICAL ISSUES AS WELL?

IT SEEMS CUT AND DRY IF SOMEONE IS DOWN TO THEIR LAST THUNDERSHOWERS THEY HAVE NO OTHER PATH TO SURVIVAL OTHER THAN THE HEART OF A PIG WERE THE LIFE OF THE PIG TAKES THE BACKSEAT THERE.

BUT PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE.

HOW CAREFULLY IS THAT BEING FACTORED INTO THIS RESEARCH?

>> THAT IS ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT POINT.

AND THAT'S A POINT WE AS A COMMUNITY OF TRANSPLANTS RESEARCH WE GIVE THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE.

THIS BEING SAID, THERE ARE 50,000 PIGS PER DAY THAT USED FOR FOOD AND MILLIONS EVERY YEAR.

SO IN ANY CASE, I THINK THE USE OF PIGS FOR MEDICAL REASONS WOULD BE VERY LOW, LOW, LOW FRACTION OF THAT.

AND DESPITE THIS WE CARE FOR THIS AND WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE SO THE PIGS ARE TREATED WITH THE GREATEST STANDARDS.

>> Jeff: LET'S BRING IT BACK TO THE BREAD AND BUTTER TRANSPLANT WORK THAT YOU DO.

APRIL IS DONATE LIFE MONTH.

WHAT DO YOU WANT OUR VIEWERS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS?

>> WELL, I THINK THE NUMBER ONE THING IS TO RECOGNIZE THE GIFT FROM DONORS.

AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO PAUSE AND RECOGNIZE THAT.

EVERY TIME I SEE SOMEONE AND TODAY I HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP AT THE CLINIC WILLING TO DONATE THEIR KIDNEYS TO THE NEXT OF KINS.

AND I TELL THEM THIS IS AMAZING WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO IS ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS YOU CAN DO IN LIF THIS MONTH IS ABOUT THAT, TO POSE AND TO RECTIFY THAT SOME HEALTHY PERSONS ARE GOING ON THE SURGERY TABLE TO TAKE A RISK AND TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE.

AND BY EXTENSION, ALL THE PERSONS WHO SIGN UP FOR BEING AN ORGAN DONOR WHERE SOMETHING HAPPEN TO THEM, THAT HAS TO BE RECOGNIZED TOO.

BUT THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE GIFT AND THE LIFE THEY SAVE AFTER THE DEATH IS -- ARE INVALUABLE THAT IS TH TIME TO RECOGNIZE THAT.

>> Jeff: AND IT'S NOT JUST KIDNEYS THAT CAN COME FROM LIVING DONORS PAUSE WE HAVE TO, WE NEED ONE, YOU CAN TAKE A PIECE OF SOMEONE'S LIVER AND IT GROWS BACK.

>> CORRECT.

THE LIVER IS AMAZING BECAUSE, YES, YOU CAN SPLIT IT AND YOU CAN DONATE THAT PART.

AND AS A MATTER OF FACT IT WILL GROW BACK IN BOTH THE RECIPIENT AND THE DONOR.

AND IN A FEW WEEKS, THE VOLUME OF THE LIVER WILL GROW BACK TO NORMAL.

THAT IS ALSO AN AMAZING GIFT.

>> Jeff: AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAW ON THE CHART AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM WAS THE BENEFIT OF THE LIVING DONATION VERSUS THE DECEASED DONOR.

>> CORRECT.

>> Jeff: IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE KIDNEY PATIENTS.

>> YES, IT ABSOLUTELY DOES.

THE LIVING DONORS ARE THE KIDNEY IS COMING FROM LIVING DONORS ARE BY FAR THE BEST OPTION.

THE LONGEST SURVIVAL THE HIGHEST QUALITY ORGAN YOU CAN IT CAN BE SCHEDULED AND IT CAN EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE RECIPIENT EXTENSIVELY AND THAT IS THE BEST OPTION.

>> Jeff: FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT MARKED THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE WITH THE DONOR DESIGNATION, HESITATE FOR WHATEVER REASON AND IN A SENTENCE OR TWO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

>> I SAY IT IS A PERSONAL DECISION AND I THINK THIS IS GOOD THAT WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR THE DRIVING LICENSE YOU POSE AND YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.

THE FIRST STEP IS TO THINK ABOUT IT.

AND MANY OCCASIONS YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

BUTO MAKE THAT IS GOOD IT IS A PERSONAL DECISION.

BUT YOU KNOW, THERE IS A SAYING THAT DONATE YOUR ORGAN GOD KNOWS YOU WON'T USE IT.

>> Jeff: WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU TAU FOR "DIRECT CONNECTION" WE'RE BACK FRIDAY WITH "STATE CIRCLE" AND THE LATEST ON MARYLAND POLITICS FRIDAY EVENING AT 7:00 P.M.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

[♪♪]