As brothers, Aaron Goggin, 26, and Lee Goggin, 31, share family ties and the family name. On July 22, Aaron shared one of his two healthy kidneys with his brother. The surgery involving the removal of a healthy kidney from Aaron and implanting it into Lee went without a hitch. It was the 1,000th kidney transplant performed at Baylor Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute at Baylor All Saints Medical Center.
Organ transplants for the Goggins began with their mother, who became a heart transplant recipient when Lee was almost 16. When their mother died five years later, the family donated her lungs, kidneys and eyes to help others. Now, 15 years later, Aaron stepped up as a living organ donor for Lee. "He's my brother," Aaron said. "What else could I do? He'd do it for me."
Physicians aren't certain what caused Lee's kidney failure. They believe the antibiotics given him as a very young infant to fight spinal meningitis may have contributed. Once it became apparent that a transplant was necessary, Lee turned to family and friends, seeking a living donor. Brother Aaron took a week off work and traveled from his residence in Oklahoma to be his brother's donor.
Baylor Fort Worth initiated its kidney transplant program in 2002. Now the hospital is a transplant center whose transplant medical team has performed 360 liver transplants and 54 pancreas transplants in addition to the milestone 1,000 kidney transplants.
"This milestone truly speaks to the professionalism and expert care the Baylor transplant team delivers to the Fort Worth community," said Marlon Levy, MD, surgical director of Baylor Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute and on the medical staff at Baylor Fort Worth.
In the past fiscal year, Baylor All Saints' kidney transplant program grew by 33 percent. The increase includes kidney transplants performed with organs from deceased donors and those transplants with living donors.
Baylor Fort Worth's 27-bed transplant unit accommodates acutely ill patients who need to remain in the hospital for a significant amount of time while waiting for or recovering from transplant surgery. The unit also contains an education center, private consultation room, a support group meeting room and family waiting areas. Baylor Fort Worth's Transplant Program offers evaluation services, living kidney donation coordination, long-term follow-up care, housing coordination and financial orientation for transplant patients.
About Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth
Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth, part of Baylor Scott & White Health, is a 574-bed, fully-accredited not-for-profit hospital located in Fort Worth, Texas. The hospital provides a broad spectrum of medical and health care services which include heart & vascular, cancer care, transplantation, women's services, neurosciences and more. Led by David Klein, MD, Baylor Fort Worth has more than 1,800 employees and a medical staff comprised of over 1,100 physicians representing nearly 25 specialties. Recently Baylor Fort Worth was recognized by U.S. News and World Report, The Joint Commission and Fort Worth Star-Telegram Readers. A full list of all awards and accreditations can be found on Baylorhealth.com/AllSaints.
(Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System's subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth or Baylor Health Care System. )
Media Contact:
Susan Hall
Susanh@baylorhealth.edu
214-566-2589
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White is empowering customers to live well by reimagining traditional healthcare — creating more convenient, personalized and informed experiences. It serves more than three million customers through 53 hospitals, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple; the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute; 1,300+ access points; 59,000+ team members; and its leading digital platform — MyBSWHealth. The system's award-winning employer solutions include Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and Levanto — a company offering digitally enabled health products. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White's mission is to promote the health and well-being of all individuals, families and communities. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com
