JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A group of perfusionists from 34 Lives, a Ballad Ventures portfolio company, has been credited with helping to rescue a kidney that had been initially deemed not usable for transplant, according to Ballad Health.
A news release from Ballad said the rescued human kidney was successfully transplanted into a recipient who had been on dialysis for nearly two years. That patient has since been discharged from the hospital to their home.
“Funded by a partnership that includes Johnson City, Tennessee-based Ballad Ventures, the venture capital subsidiary of Ballad Health; Greeneville, Tennessee-based Niswonger Foundation; and the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), 34 Lives uses innovative technology to rescue hard-to-place kidneys and state-of-the-art logistics to transport these fragile organs from donor to recipient,” the release states.
Ballad said this marks 34 Lives’ first transplanted kidney that was made usable by the company’s technology and logistics.
“I can think of no better investment of time, resources and energy than to help people who suffer from kidney disease have hope for a better quality of life – and a longer life,” said Scott Niswonger, Niswonger Foundation Chairman. “I am proud of my friends at Purdue University who supported the research and effort to bring this opportunity to market, and I am proud that Ballad Ventures and the Niswonger Foundation have partnered to bring 34 Lives to the forefront of this technology and logistics for those who need it.”
Ballad said this progress is important because it will provide access to more usable kidney donations nationwide. According to the NKF, nearly 750,000 Americans have irreversible kidney failure. Ballad said more than 100,000 people are currently on the national transplant waiting list for a kidney.
