WAPT-TV reports that a mind boggling seven-way kidney swap happened at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and was the largest in the state’s history. Madison-Ridgeland Academy head football coach Herbert Davis, who’d been battling kidney disease for years, was one of the recipients and where the record-breaking transplant chain began.
After almost five years of dialysis and more than a dozen surgeries, doctors told Davis he would need a new kidney soon. Since none of their relatives proved to be a match, Davis turned to his community, and soon Leah Cox, the mother of one of his players, stepped forward to undergo testing. She ended up not only matching with Davis, but also another person in need of a kidney. This set the stage for a seven-way kidney swap, facilitated by Dr Pradeep Vaitla, the medical director of kidney transplants at UMMC. You can follow the graph of how it all played out here.
Following the successful surgeries, Davis expressed profound gratitude for Cox's generosity, acknowledging the impact the transplant will have on his life. Finally free from needing 20 hours of weekly dialysis, Davis is eager to return to coaching and looks forward to leading his team to victory in the upcoming football season. He warns that his players had better get ready, saying, “I’m going to kick butt. They’re in trouble.”