(FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) – A woman from Texas has been approved for a double arm transplant.
Katy Hayes, 43, of Kingwood, Texas, lost her arms and legs two years ago when she was infected with a flesh-eating bacteria after giving birth. She would be the first person in the United States to receive a transplant of both arms above the elbow.
Brigham and Women's Hospital is working with the New England Organ Bank to find a donor for Hayes.
Once a docor is found, it is a delicate process of approaching the family of someone whose life is slipping away on the behalf of someone who wants to start their life anew.
Then, once the surgery is performed, it could take about two years for her to use her new limbs.
Doctors hope that eventually, she'll be able to feel sensation in her fingertips.
Experts say as science finds new ways to use make transplants of limbs and organs, the need for donors has increased.www.brighamandwomens.org/KatyHayes
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(photo credit: Brigham and Women's website)
