A pioneering international kidney exchange has changed the lives of eight patients in Israel and Cyprus.
Five of the transplants occurred in Israel, including three at the Hadassah Medical Organization.
The transplant chain was made possible thanks to two altruistic donors who contacted Israel’s National Center for Transplantation, The Jerusalem Post reports.
"The extensive experience in kidney transplants at Hadassah has taught us that there is a lot of good in the world,” said Dr. Abed Khalaileh, head of Hadassah’s Transplant Unit. “People are willing to donate a part of themselves to save the lives of strangers."
Yara Ashchar Shir, one of the kidney donors, chose to donate her kidney after her cousin's death in Gaza. "It was a necessary sacrifice to save lives," she said. "I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of something so big."
The exchange marks the first of its kind between the two countries.
Read the full story in The Jerusalem Post.
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