On December 14th 1967 the first pediatric kidney transplant was performed on a 6 year old boy named Thomas Hoag at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He recently came back to visit the hospital and to give the current children there hope for the future. He had gotten his transplant 45 years ago, and is still living a health life today. Children’s has come a long way performing over 873 more kidney transplants since then.
This is a great example of showing innovation and what it can do for the future. Thomas Hoag shows his compassion by coming back and giving back love to the patients that he has received from all the health care professionals in the past.
I love living in Los Angeles for many reasons, and I have to say one of the greatest is that I get to be close by to CHLA and their groundbreaking work.
"I don't think there are too many of any patients who have survived 45 years with a kidney," said Children's Hospital L.A. Dr. Richard Fine.
"45 years later, I'm here and still every day is a new adventure," Hoag said.