Iraq War Vet Receives Rare Double Arm Transplant

[dkf]

GWEN IFILL: In 2009, then Private Marrocco lost both arms and both legs in a roadside bombing outside Baghdad. Then, just over a month ago, he received a rare double arm transplant. Today, he was discharged from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

DR. W.P. ANDREW LEE, Johns Hopkins Medicine: Only six other patients have undergone successful double hand transplants in the U.S., and Brendan's surgery was the most extensive and complicated arm transplant performed.

GWEN IFILL: Sergeant Marrocco said he is already seeing signs of progress.

BRENDAN MARROCCO: I don't really have feeling or movement in the hands yet, but we will get there. I can move my elbow. This was my elbow, the one I had before. I can rotate a little bit. This arm is pretty much not much movement at all.


http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june13/transplant_01-29.html

[AnnieBW]

1. Saw him on NBC news. Great kid

Tough as hell. I'm glad that Hopkins could do that.

[dkf]

2. Wasn't he amazing?

I am so happy for him.

[0rganism]

3. modern medicine can do amazing beautiful things

I'm hopeful that if I depart this mortal coil early, every single part of my body might be reclaimable for someone's further use, not just my internal organs. Well, maybe not my eyes, the astigmatism really sucks, and hey my feet aren't exactly high quality either, but there's bound to be some good recycling opportunities elsewhere.