David Rennie went through tough time for two years as he had to go through regular dialysis because of kidney problems he had. The 54-year-old Shelton resident was provided a means of survival by dialysis, but he was not able to perform certain daily tasks because of the condition.

Diabetes and high blood pressure worsened his condition to such an extent that he required a kidney transplant. He was all set for a surgery in December as his wife, Margaret, agreed to donate a kidney to him, but it later surfaced that his wife was not a good match for him.

They were in despair until they came to know about a historic eight-patient kidney transplant that took place March 3 at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

David’s plight for kidney came to an end after receiving the one from donor Yale-New Haven Hospital. Menno-Coveney of Mystic began the donation process. She was an altruistic donor and volunteer to donate an organ or organs to anyone in need.

Margaret Rennie donated her kidney to another patient, Raymond Murphy, of Old Saybrook. Mario Garcia, from New Haven, received a kidney from Sylvie Murphy, Raymond's wife. And Edward Brakoniecki, of Stamford, received a kidney from Mario's wife, Hilary Grant.
The procedure for kidney transplant began at 7:30am and ended when the final kidney was transplanted just before 6pm that day.

Hospital sources have claimed that the chain surgery has made it possible for the first time to organize a kidney transplant exchange of this magnitude on one day at a single hospital in Connecticut.

“Sometimes you have couples who aren't compatible with one another," but are compatible, in some combination, with other couples”, said Dr. Peter Schulam, chief of urology at Yale-New Haven Hospital.