Multiple organ donations in Brazil improve lives of nine patients

In Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a 33‑year‑old donor after brain death provided corneas, kidneys and a liver. The kidneys were sent to Hospital Universitário Onofre Lopes, the liver to Bahia, and the corneas will be evaluated for transplantation, enabling procedures for four patients. Transport used a CIOPAER helicopter and a commercial flight, coordinated by the state health secretariat and the National Transplant Center. This donation brought RN’s 2024 totals to 116 cornea transplants, about 90 bone‑marrow, 36 kidneys and one heart.

In João Pessoa, Paraíba, a 22‑year‑old donor after intracranial trauma supplied a liver, kidneys and corneas, slated for five recipients. The Central de Transplantes coordinated the retrieval, raising Paraíba’s 2024 count to 89 transplants, while 850 people remain on waiting lists. Both events underscore the importance of family consent and coordinated logistics in Brazil’s public transplant system.