Surgeon runs through half-marathon to deliver liver for transplant surgery

A driver leaving New York City had almost reached Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University Hospital when he was halted by November’s half marathon. He was trying to deliver a human liver for transplant surgery, and time was of the essence. When the surgeon waiting for the liver heard that the driver was stopped, he took matters into his own hands and ran a kilometre to collect the organ himself.

With the clock ticking on his precious cargo, the surgeon, Adam Bodzin, scurried through the half-marathon course, dodging runners in his green hospital scrubs to grab the liver, which was packed in ice, and caught a ride back to the hospital from a nearby police officer.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the surgery went well, and three months later, the patient was recovered enough for them to report the story. 

There is approximately an eight-hour window for organs to be transported for transplant surgery. Outside that window, there is an increased risk of deterioration of the organ.

Bodzin told the Inquirer that, since the driver was from out of town, he was unaware of the race, or the associated road closures, and became stuck behind a police barricade.

The driver was hired by the Gift of Life Donor Program, a nonprofit that co-ordinates organ donation for transplants in the Philadelphia area.

Philadelphia’s Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is located square in the middle of the half-marathon route, making it tough to access during the race.

According to the Inquirer, race officials met with representatives from the hospital, informing them about emergency access points along the half marathon route.

Although Bodzin did not run the race, he was praised by his peers for going the extra mile–or kilometre–for his waiting patient.

“I am unsure how long the run took, but I was grateful for the escort back from police,” he said to the Inquirer. “I’m more of a biker.”