Rob Stein

And Tawana has an especially sensitive immune system, so doctors knew her body would reject a human kidney.

And Tawana has an especially sensitive immune system, so doctors knew her body would reject a human kidney.

But in the operating room, everyone was pretty optimistic.

But in the operating room, everyone was pretty optimistic.

But in the operating room, everyone was pretty optimistic.

That's the lead surgeon, Dr. Robert Montgomery. I watched as an anesthesiologist put Tawana under... Everybody ready? Ready. And then the surgical team got to work. Robert, the surgeon, made an incision in Tawana's lower abdomen to begin painstakingly preparing a spot to implant the pig kidney.

That's the lead surgeon, Dr. Robert Montgomery. I watched as an anesthesiologist put Tawana under... Everybody ready? Ready. And then the surgical team got to work. Robert, the surgeon, made an incision in Tawana's lower abdomen to begin painstakingly preparing a spot to implant the pig kidney.

That's the lead surgeon, Dr. Robert Montgomery. I watched as an anesthesiologist put Tawana under... Everybody ready? Ready. And then the surgical team got to work. Robert, the surgeon, made an incision in Tawana's lower abdomen to begin painstakingly preparing a spot to implant the pig kidney.

Yeah, it was all very dramatic. You know, because as this was happening, the screen on the wall shows the helicopter approaching NYU Langone Health with the pig kidneys. The chopper swooped through the clear blue sky along the East River and sets down on the helipad.

Yeah, it was all very dramatic. You know, because as this was happening, the screen on the wall shows the helicopter approaching NYU Langone Health with the pig kidneys. The chopper swooped through the clear blue sky along the East River and sets down on the helipad.

Yeah, it was all very dramatic. You know, because as this was happening, the screen on the wall shows the helicopter approaching NYU Langone Health with the pig kidneys. The chopper swooped through the clear blue sky along the East River and sets down on the helipad.

The arriving crew places a white box about the size of a microwave oven that contains the pig's two kidneys on a wheelchair and rushes it into the operating room.

The arriving crew places a white box about the size of a microwave oven that contains the pig's two kidneys on a wheelchair and rushes it into the operating room.

The arriving crew places a white box about the size of a microwave oven that contains the pig's two kidneys on a wheelchair and rushes it into the operating room.

Exactly. While one team of surgeons was flying back with the pig kidneys, Robert Montgomery, the surgeon, and his team were preparing Tawana to get the transplant. When the chopper arrived with the pig kidneys, they had both the left and right kidneys from the pig, just in case something went wrong with one.

Exactly. While one team of surgeons was flying back with the pig kidneys, Robert Montgomery, the surgeon, and his team were preparing Tawana to get the transplant. When the chopper arrived with the pig kidneys, they had both the left and right kidneys from the pig, just in case something went wrong with one.

Exactly. While one team of surgeons was flying back with the pig kidneys, Robert Montgomery, the surgeon, and his team were preparing Tawana to get the transplant. When the chopper arrived with the pig kidneys, they had both the left and right kidneys from the pig, just in case something went wrong with one.

Robert removed them from their plastic bags and then meticulously started preparing one of them. Let's sew this thing in.

Robert removed them from their plastic bags and then meticulously started preparing one of them. Let's sew this thing in.

Robert removed them from their plastic bags and then meticulously started preparing one of them. Let's sew this thing in.