Richard “Rick” Slayman became the first man to receive the first pig kidney transplant, but
almost two months after the procedure Mr. Slayman passed away at 62 years old on Saturday,
May 11. Mr. Slayman was suffering from an end-stage kidney disease before he underwent
operation back on March 16 at Massachusetts General Hospital located in Boston.

Back in 2018, Mr. Slayman did have a human kidney transplant, but it started to fail after five
years. There were transplants of other organs that were from genetically modified pigs that
failed in the past, but the operation on Mr. Slayman was hailed as a success. The surgery done on Mr.
Slayman became a turning point for the field of xenotransplantation, a field of procedures involving
infusion, transplantation, and implantation into the human recipient of tissues, organs, or live
cells that are from a nonhuman animal source. It transplants genetically modified organs in the
hope that the human body won’t reject the foreign tissue.

On Saturday, May 11, Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement that there wasn’t an
indication that Mr. Slayman’s death was a result of the transplant. The transplant surgeon said
he hoped the transplant would function for at least two years.

Mr. Slayman relatives say his story was an inspiration. They said, “Rick said that one of the
reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who
need a transplant to survive. Rick accomplished that goal and his hope and optimism will
endure forever.” They added, “To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man with a quick-witted sense of
humor who was fiercely dedicated to his family, friends, and co-workers.”