Lawrence Faucette, the second living person to receive a genetically modified pig heart in a transplant, has died six weeks after the experimental procedure. The University of Maryland Medical Center, where the experimental procedure had been performed, said the heart began to show signs of rejection in recent days.

“Mr. Faucette’s last wish was for us to make the most of what we have learned from our experience, so others may be guaranteed a chance for a new heart when a human organ is unavailable. He then told the team of doctors and nurses who gathered around him that he loved us. We will miss him tremendously,” Dr. Bartley Griffith, clinical director of the Cardiac Xenotransplantation Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said in a statement. Griffith had performed the experimental surgery.

    • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net
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      1 year ago

      Honestly. He’s helping pave the way so that people who have heart issues could potentially have replacements one day. Not just old dudes, but kids too.

      Even if pig hearts never pan out, he got 6 more weeks with his loved ones.

    • cactusupyourbutt@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      friendly reminder that you do not need to be old to plant trees. If you have a choice to take part in a scientific study, please do. Its usually quite easy.

      personally for me it was a double blind study about tapering from steroids. so a month of tapering (or not, idk, it was blind), and then a few phone calls over 6 months.

      • Chetzemoka@startrek.website
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        1 year ago

        Thank you so much for participating in that. That’s not an exciting thing to study, but man it’s important in deciding what’s the best course of treatment for patients. Your life might not have been on the line, but I still think you’re a hero and I appreciate you.

      • NegativeInf@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        It’s a paraphrase. “Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.” There are many versions across history. But no matter its source, it’s a lovely sentiment.