Technology Slice Blog

First Organ Donor Dies - As Richard Herrick lay dying in Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, he had second thoughts about making medical history. In another room waited his identical twin, Ronald, who was going to donate a kidney to Richard in the world's first successful organ transplant. "Ron got a note from Richard the night of the surgery telling him to get out of there and go home," said Ronald's wife, Cynthia. "Ron sent a note back saying, 'I'm here and I'm going to stay and that's it.' " And so it was. On Dec. 23, 1954, Dr. Joseph Murray removed a kidney from Ronald and implanted it in Richard. Years later, Murray shared a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work. For the Herrick twins, the results were more immediate and personal. Ronald gave Richard about eight more years of life. First Organ Donor Dies The older and more serious of the twins, Ronald Herrick didn't talk about his key role in opening a new venue in medicine u...