A former pastor received the gift of life, thanks to a generous donation from one of his church members. But Gainesville pastor Troy Milford didn't receive his kidney from parishioner and friend Robert Poole; Milford received it from a donor in New Jersey. And Poole's donated kidney went to an anonymous recipient in Texas.

The two Georgia men are part of the world's second largest kidney swap in history, and the largest kidney swap to be concluded in less than 40 days. Named "Chain 221" by the National Kidney Registry, the chain involved 56 participants, which facilitated 28 transplants in 19 transplant centers across the U.S., including the Emory Transplant Center. A Good Samaritan donor, also known as an altruistic donor, initiated Chain 221 in Memphis, Tenn., on April 30, 2013, and the chain ended just five weeks later, on June 5, in Cleveland, Ohio

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Second largest kidney swap in history includes Emory Transplant Center

Emory Healthcare Blog Post
28 people now have a new lease on life