Paired Exchange Program unites first donors A March 29th press conference held at NJ Sharing Network was the setting for the first public meeting of the first participants’ of the Mid-Atlantic Paired Exchange Program (PEP)since their operations took place at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. The surgeons who performed the groundbreaking procedure were Stuart R. Geffner, M.D., Director of Transplant Surgery for Saint Barnabas Heath Care System, H. Stephen Fletcher, M.D. and Marc Uknis, M.D. The emotionally uplifting meeting was covered by New Jersey Network News, News 12 and The Star Ledger. PEP was initiated to increase the ability of potential kidney transplant recipients to receive kidney donations from living donors. A paired kidney exchange program helps patients get a kidney when they have a willing, designated donor whose blood type is incompatible to their own. In a paired kidney exchange, a kidney from such a donor is matched and transplanted into the recipient of a second donor-patient pair, and vice versa. NJ Sharing Network coordinates the procedures so both donations and transplants occur simultaneously. Gary Cerreto, age 24 of Belleville, NJ, was one of the kidney transplant recipients. He received a kidney transplant and, through PEP, Mr. Cerreto’s mother, Janet Olivieri, age 44 of Nutley, was able to donate a kidney to her son indirectly. The other recipient was Anthony Stoia, age 56, of Bloomfield, who was given Mrs. Olivieri’s organ. Mr. Stoia’s wife, Christie Stoia, age 52, and also of Bloomfield, donated a kidney for her husband, which was given to Mr. Cerreto.
(Left to right….Mrs. Olivieri, Son Gary Cerreto, Mrs. Stoia and Mr. Stoia)
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