Former Collegeville Resident, National President of TRIO Talks Transplants in Pandemic
Jim Gleason, National President of Transplant Recipients International Organization, has a lot to be thankful for when it comes to organ transplants, writes Marie Benz for the Medical Research.
The former Collegeville resident was able to go back to work at Blue Bell-based Unisys within three months of receiving a heart transplant. He then continued to work there for over a decade before retiring. However, he stayed active within TRIO.
But with COVID-19, transplant recipients facing new challenges. They are automatically in a high-risk category due to being immune-suppressed because of the life-time meds all transplant recipients have to take. This is why it is so important to take all the recommended precautions, said Gleason.
The pandemic has also affected transplants that involve living donors, as they are usually considered elective surgeries.
“While there was a decrease in living donor surgeries in the earlier months of the pandemic,” said Gleason, “I’ve seen reports that this has been offset by recent increasing deceased donor and recipient surgeries.”
Gleason encouraged transplant patients to download the free AlloCare app to help “them maintain the discipline that is so critical to positive long-term transplant success.”
Read more about Jim Gleason at the Medical Research by clicking here.
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