Towana Loney

Towana Loney, a woman in her fifties from Alabama, made headlines after undergoing a groundbreaking experimental procedure involving the transplantation of a genetically modified pig kidney. This surgery, conducted at NYU Langone Health, aimed to address the global shortage of human organs for transplantation. Despite an initial positive response, Loney's body began showing signs of rejecting the kidney after four months, leading to its surgical removal. Her journey highlights both the potential and challenges of xenotransplantation, as well as her personal struggle with kidney failure after donating a kidney to her mother in 1999 and dealing with complications from pregnancy.