“Age is just a number,” said Mohammed Javeed Ansari, MD, a nephrologist at Northwestern Medicine. “What we’re looking at is the functional status of the recipient. If someone is living their life at 87, just like a 67-year-old would, they deserve the opportunity to receive a life-saving transplant.”

Doctor Ansari presented Perry’s case to his colleagues at the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center and fiercely advocated for her treatment. Perry was accepted, and on March 6, Vinayak Rohan, MD, a transplant surgeon at Northwestern Medicine, performed her surgery. 

“When Sheila was presented to the committee, everybody was taken aback a little bit,” said Dr. Rohan. “It's not every day that we see an 87-year-old looking for a transplant. But after reviewing her health history and seeing how fit she was, we were confident we could do this successfully.”

Transplants in an aging population

By 2050, the number of people over 80 years old is expected to triple. Advancements in healthcare mean people are living longer, and the number of older adults is growing worldwide. As the population ages, Dr. Rohan expects organ transplants in older patients will become more common. 

“Surgery and immunosuppression are harder on the body of an older patient, so we’ll have to adapt,” said Dr. Rohan. “We can adjust immunosuppression, cut surgery times, and perform awake kidney transplants without the risks of general anesthesia. There are things we can do to achieve good outcomes and meet the needs of this population.”

The proportion of older donors is also increasing, which may improve wait times for older recipients.  

“Even donors in their 70’s are being considered,” said Dr. Ansari. “From a biologic perspective and a physical perspective, age should not be a contraindication for transplantation.”

Thriving at 87

Just three months after surgery, Perry is back to her normal life. She lives alone by choice, walks several miles each day, and spends most of her time immersed in the arts. Whether it’s the ballet, symphony, or browsing museums, Perry is thankful her new kidney is getting her back to what she loves. As soon as she’s cleared by her doctors, Perry plans to continue her passion of traveling the world. 

“This transplant was an opportunity to add a few more years to my life,” said Perry. “I was going to have to do more dialysis, and we know where that eventually leads. Although there were risks involved at 87 years old, I’m so glad I went through with it. I’m not done living my life yet.”

After making history with a kidney transplant at her age, Perry has a message for older patients in her shoes. 

“Find an advocate who will believe in you,” said Perry. “If it can save your life, you are worthy of someone else’s kidney, even if you’re in your 80’s. Just go for it.” 

For more information on kidney transplantation at Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org.

CHICAGO, IL – September 2, 2025 – Jessica Lopez doesn’t remember being able to see. The 32-year-old from Chicago, Ill., spent most of her childhood in a hospital, battling leukemia and retinoblastoma that would leave her completely blind. Although years of chemotherapy would help treat the cancers, it would lead to other health problems later in life.  

In November 2023, Lopez was engaged to be married when she found out she needed a new heart and a new liver. She was in heart failure from cardiomyopathy, a type of heart disease affecting the heart muscle, and the impact had spread to her liver. Lopez was listed for a double-organ transplant at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and spent one year on the waiting list. During that time, her condition began affecting a third organ. Lopez no longer needed just a heart and liver – she also needed a new kidney.  

Despite being considered high-risk for the procedure, Lopez says she was never scared. 

“I’ve always been a very positive person, and I don’t like to ever think negatively,” said Lopez. “I was confident from the very beginning that my doctors at Northwestern Medicine were going to do this successfully.”

Finding the right match

Triple-organ transplants are incredibly rare, with only 59 transplants of the heart, liver, and kidney recorded in the U.S. to date. Specialized teams with the Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute (BCVI) and the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center had performed a successful triple transplant in the past and were ready to take on Lopez’s case.  

“From the day I met her in clinic, I knew we were going to pull out all the stops to do what we needed to do to get her feeling better,” said Benjamin Bryner, MD, a cardiac surgeon at Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. “She has an attitude that’s really positive, she’s endearing, and has a great sense of humor. Just walking out of the clinic room, I thought, ‘this is going to be tricky, but we absolutely have to do this.’”

Wait times for triple-organ transplants are often longer than those for single-organ transplants since all three organs must come from the same donor. This can complicate the organ approval process, as sometimes two out of three organs may match but not the third. 

“When you have multiple failing organs, along with a patient who is young and has heart damage due to chemotherapy as opposed to the usual heart disease, it gets a lot more complicated,” said Dr. Bryner. “It’s unusual to find a recipient who can safely get through this complex of an operation.”

On February 24, three organs became available, and Lopez went in for her transplant. Lopez’s heart and liver were transplanted together before a different group of surgeons could move on to the kidney. 

“We transplanted the heart and liver in one block to limit the amount of time the organs go without blood or oxygen,” said Juan Carlos Caicedo, MD, transplant surgeon and surgical director of the Liver Transplant Program at Northwestern Medicine. “The heart and the liver stay connected the whole time from the donor to the recipient. While Dr. Bryner was doing the heart transplant, we were sewing the liver graft. You have two surgeons working simultaneously and that’s one of the advantages of our team.” 

Looking to the future

Lopez is now thriving with her new heart, liver, and kidney, and has been in remission from cancer for 20 years. 

“I feel like I was reborn again,” said Lopez. “I have more energy, my heart beats much stronger and my hands are even warmer. I’m incredibly grateful for my organ donor and their family. Because of their selfless decision, I’ve been given a second chance at life and can start planning for my future.”

Despite being blind with multiple medical challenges, Lopez never tells herself there’s something she can’t do.

“If I have to go somewhere I use landmarks when traveling on my own,” said Lopez. “My phone has accessibility to access rideshare and social media apps. When cooking for myself I use my hands to locate items on the stove. I cook things like rice, seafood, and spaghetti. It’s just about setting my mind to it.”

After recovering from surgery, she plans to attend Loyola University Chicago to study criminal investigation. She hopes to pursue a career in forensics and dreams of one day collecting evidence at crime scenes. 

Lopez and her fiancé, Christopher, are now planning a wedding in California and hope to tie the knot in 2026.  

Cancer’s toll on the heart

An estimated 18 million cancer survivors are currently in the United States and the number is expected to increase to nearly 22 million by 2030. Unfortunately, the same treatments that have improved outcomes for treating cancer can also damage the heart. 

According to the National Cancer Institute, adult survivors of childhood cancers are 10 times more likely to develop coronary disease and 15 times more likely to develop heart failure than their siblings. Treatment-related cardiovascular side effects – known as cardiotoxicities – are also common among survivors of adult cancers.

“When you think about life being unfair, Jessica was dealt a really difficult hand,” said Jonathan Rich, MD, a heart failure and heart transplantation cardiologist at Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. “As an infant, Jessica was diagnosed with cancer and found a way to be a cancer survivor. But in her case, the treatment she needed to become a cancer survivor likely led to her developing heart failure. It feels really unfair. Unfortunately, we do see this and in her in case I think that’s exactly what happened.” 

The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute offer a collaborative Cardio-Oncology Program. The program provides seamless care between cardiology and oncology services for patients affected by cancer. 

To learn more about heart failure and transplant options, visit nm.org.

“Performing 10,000 abdominal transplants is a tremendous milestone for Northwestern Medicine,” said Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, chief of the division of abdominal organ transplantation and director of the comprehensive transplant center at Northwestern Medicine. “Through organ transplantation, we have saved the lives of over 10,000 patients. As physicians, nurses, social workers and staff, we celebrate every life saved by an organ transplant. As we achieve this unique milestone, it was also time to reflect and thank the patients and family members who chose to donate their organs to save lives.” 

Starting in 1964, Northwestern Medicine’s organ transplant program is one of the largest and longest running in Illinois. It has performed: 

• More than 6,500 kidney transplants – the first program in Illinois to achieve that feat;
• More than 2,600 liver transplants - the first program in Illinois to achieve that feat;
• More than 850 pancreas transplants – the first program in Illinois to achieve that feat.

In 2023, Northwestern Medicine performed 518 abdominal transplants, which was eighth in the nation for transplant volume (includes heart and lung transplants). Northwestern Medicine is the largest transplant and living donor program in Illinois and one of the largest in the United States, performing 347 kidney transplants, 138 liver transplants and 33 pancreas transplants in 2023 and ranks seventh in the nation in kidney transplant volume, 29^th in liver transplant volume and third in pancreas volume. 

“As we look towards the future, Northwestern Medicine is on the cusp of the next era of transplant with advances in technology and innovation,” said Dr. Nadig. “It’s an exciting time in transplant and we are committed to continually improve the field with the goal of improving the lives of our patients.” 

A leader in equitable access in transplantation, Northwestern Medicine founded the Hispanic Transplant Program and the African American Transplant Program.

Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program the first program in the country to address the needs of Hispanic and Spanish-speaking patients

Started in December 2006, the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program is the first program in the United States providing transplant care for English and Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients, offering a culturally sensitive program that serves Hispanic patients and families who need transplants.

“We established the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program because there was a significant need in the Hispanic community,” said Juan Carlos Caicedo, MD, founder and director of the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program. “We now have more than 60 team members supporting the program, focused on serving the Hispanic community. Our team is bilingual and bicultural, and we have increased organ donation while improving access to transplant care in the Hispanic community.”

Since 2007, the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program has performed over 1,600 transplants – all abdominal organs – in Hispanic and Latino patients.  

Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access Program addresses disparities in access to transplantation experienced by the Black community 

Founded in 2019, the Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access Program breaks down barriers to transplant care in the African American community through access to education, resources and transplant care. 

“As we approach our 50^th transplant procedure through the Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access Program, we are seeing the results of equitable access to transplant care,” said Dinee Simpson, MD, founder and director of the Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Program and chief health equity executive at Northwestern Medicine. “We will continue to break down barriers to transplant for African American patients by helping them navigate the transplant process, rebuilding their trust in healthcare and continuing to be a trusted destination for transplantation among African American patients.” 

The Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access Program addresses patient distrust in health care, cultural competency, health literacy and psychosocial support.

Driven by research and clinical trial offerings 

The Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center currently has over 90 active clinical trials and has received $8 million in federal funding for transplant research. Including heart and lung transplants, Northwestern Medicine performed 651 transplants in 2023, which is eighth nationally in transplant volume, 97 lung transplants – fourth in the nation – and 37 heart transplants, which is 44^th in the nation. 

People who are interested in becoming living donors can visit nmlivingdonor.org.

For more information on the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center, visit nm.org.

“I now call myself ‘Colette 2.0’ – new and improved. I have a second chance at life,” said Hurd.

In May 2020, Hurd noticed she was short of breath, but it wasn’t COVID-19. She was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH), which refers to high blood pressure in the lungs. PH is a rare disease that affects the blood vessels in the lungs and the right side of the heart. It causes the heart and lungs to weaken over time, which ultimately leads to death. 

By May 2021, Hurd’s lungs were failing, and she was admitted to Northwestern Memorial for consideration of a double-lung transplant. Due to Hurd’s heart failing on the right side, it caused poor kidney perfusion, which meant – Hurd also needed a kidney transplant. 

On July 7, 2021, Hurd was listed for a lung and kidney transplant, but it was difficult to find a match. 

Hurd was highly sensitized – meaning, she had developed a lot of antibodies in her bloodstream. This can happen during childbirth or through previous blood transfusions. Bottom line, these antibodies would reject new organs in Hurd’s body. 

 So, the transplant team took a chance. 

 On May 15, 2022, they accepted organs that were not the right match and created a protocol to get rid of the antibodies in Hurd’s bloodstream to make her a good match. 

They wiped Hurd’s immune system so she wouldn’t reject the new organs. This was achieved through medications and plasmapheresis treatment before and after surgery, which involves removing blood through a catheter and circulating it in a machine to remove the antibodies. Hurd was the first Northwestern Medicine lung transplant patient to receive this treatment. To date, it’s now been performed on five more Northwestern Medicine lung transplant patients. 

“Colette has opened the door for many more patients across the country who would otherwise die while waiting for a lung transplant,” said Rade Tomic, MD, medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program. “Until Colette, this type of treatment, where we immediately administer medications and plasmapheresis before and after surgery, was only done in Toronto for lung transplant patients. It’s very uncommon.”

“Transplant is such a young field that we’re still learning what the boundaries are,” said Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, chief of organ transplantation at Northwestern Medicine, who performed Hurd’s kidney transplant. “With Colette’s case, our transplant team was able to push that boundary, immunologically speaking, even further to the benefit of those requiring life-saving organs globally.”

During her 15-month hospitalization, Hurd developed strong relationships with her medical team – especially Kari Brouwer, OTR/L, a Northwestern Medicine occupational therapist, who helped Hurd’s husband, Dennis, surprise his wife with a vow renewal at the hospital chapel for their 20^th wedding anniversary.

“Colette is such a bright light and rubs off on everyone she meets,” said Brouwer. “She wants to support you, remembers your name, renews your hope, and reminds you why you got into health care in the first place. We will never forget her.”

On August 11, hospital staff lined the hallway, cheering Hurd on as she was officially discharged from Northwestern Memorial.  

“This team at Northwestern Medicine never gave up on me. Even though I had so many issues with the antibodies in my blood, they were always thinking outside the box,” said Hurd. “I hope my story encourages others to register as organ donors – especially the African American community. I’ve been a registered donor since I first got my driver’s license, and we need more African Americans to sign up as donors. It will help someone else – just like somebody helped me.”