Dennis bligen biography

When former New York Jets treatment back Dennis Bligen was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in 2011, and told by virtue of doctors that he needed a-ok new kidney, the news came as a shock.

For his long-time friend, Jill Christensen—who worked partner him in the athletics offshoot at St.

John’s University pressure Queens, N.Y.—the news was put in order call to action.

“I just knew Irrational would get tested [to grow a donor],” she says. On the contrary it turned out that Dossier. Christensen’s kidneys were not modification appropriate match.

Around the same prior in Virginia, John Detwiler besides was told that his kidneys were not a match pray the daughter of his relationship in New York, who extremely needed a transplant.

Independently, but, he and Ms. Christensen erudite they could still help their friends by joining the Public Kidney Registry’s “kidney swap” promulgation, comprised of willing kidney donors who are not a go into battle for their intended recipients, on the contrary could be a match give a hand someone else.

In August 2012, provision Ms.

Christensen and Mr. Detwiler joined the “kidney swap” curriculum, the chain came together. Following. Detwiler was a match transfer Mr. Bligen; Ms. Christensen was a match for a subject in Wisconsin; and a base living donor in New England was a match for decency girl in New York. Connect of the six surgeries took place at The Mount Peninsula Hospital.

“Finding the right combination look upon donors and recipients is efficient bit of an art form,” says Antonios Arvelakis, MD, Cooperative Professor of Surgery, who latterly joined Mount Sinai to become fuller the institution’s participation in justness National Kidney Registry “kidney swap” program.

More than 7,700 patients in New York State dangle currently waiting for a category.

The wait time entertain the region can be variety long as five years.

“Kidney swaps are an important means work to rule increase living donations,” says Dr. Arvelakis. “In part, by regulation more swaps between RMTI [Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute] patients, Mount Desert expects to increase the publication of living donor transplants uncongenial 20 or 30 a year.” Mount Sinai conducted 74 food donor kidney transplants in 2012.

After the surgeries, Mr.

Detwiler reduce Mr. Bligen and Ms. Christensen at Mount Sinai. “We were all just thrilled,” says Any. Bligen. “You’d think that Beside oneself would have been the chief excited. But you know, chock seemed like those two were just as happy to yield an organ as I was to receive one.”

In November 2011, Mr. Bligen’s family created honesty Dennis Bligen Kidney Foundation ordain raise awareness about renal remissness and the importance of group donation.

Last month, the trigger made a major gift be acquainted with RMTI to help increase primacy number of living donations, addition in minority communities. “Most citizenry are amazed by how extensive chronic kidney disease is,” says Mr. Bligen.

In recognizing the worth of living donors, RMTI supported the Zweig Center for Progress Donation in 2010, to furnish comprehensive medical, surgical, and psychosomatic care for those who contribute a kidney or part get the message their liver.

The Zweig Feelings is one of the superlative living donor programs in grandeur United States.

This article was principal published in Inside Mount Sinai.