Rob Stein

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.

Yeah, this is a big moment. They check to see if blood from Tawana's body is flowing into the pig kidney for the first time.

Yeah, this is a big moment. They check to see if blood from Tawana's body is flowing into the pig kidney for the first time.

Yeah, this is a big moment. They check to see if blood from Tawana's body is flowing into the pig kidney for the first time.

Oh, thank goodness.

Oh, thank goodness.

Oh, thank goodness.

Yeah, it was very dramatic. They then checked to make sure the kidney was doing its job, which was producing urine. And then she was discharged from the hospital less than two weeks after the surgery, which is earlier than they expected. And yeah, and then I went to visit her at an apartment where she's staying for, you know, probably about three months, not far from the hospital.

Yeah, it was very dramatic. They then checked to make sure the kidney was doing its job, which was producing urine. And then she was discharged from the hospital less than two weeks after the surgery, which is earlier than they expected. And yeah, and then I went to visit her at an apartment where she's staying for, you know, probably about three months, not far from the hospital.

Yeah, it was very dramatic. They then checked to make sure the kidney was doing its job, which was producing urine. And then she was discharged from the hospital less than two weeks after the surgery, which is earlier than they expected. And yeah, and then I went to visit her at an apartment where she's staying for, you know, probably about three months, not far from the hospital.

So the doctors can keep an eye on her. And I have to say, she is in amazing spirits. Most of the symptoms that had limited her before the surgery had disappeared.

So the doctors can keep an eye on her. And I have to say, she is in amazing spirits. Most of the symptoms that had limited her before the surgery had disappeared.

So the doctors can keep an eye on her. And I have to say, she is in amazing spirits. Most of the symptoms that had limited her before the surgery had disappeared.

Yet, Juana says she'll never forget the first time she peed after the surgery. It was the first time she'd been able to do that in almost eight years.