CU Transplant Center

02/05/2026

Kidney transplant facts most people don’t know 👀
We asked our kidney transplant nurses to share the facts that surprise people the most

02/04/2026

A milestone moment for our team: our first pediatric combined heart and liver transplant, and one of just 37 performed nationwide.

Read the full story here:

An 11-year-old girl in Fort Collins successfully became the 37th child in U.S. history to undergo a liver and heart transplant at one time. Gracie Greenlaw is now home and thriving after receiving the organ donations.

01/28/2026

We heard the dialysis access surgeon at CU is great!! 😎 👏 Dr. Kennealey jumps on this fun trend!

01/23/2026

What is the toughest part about operating on babies? Pediatric Transplant Surgeon Dr. Adams explains!

01/22/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that Controversies in Transplantation is back and registration is now open! 🎉
Register today: https://bit.ly/4a8f7BJ

01/20/2026

"It was a quiet voice that would not go away."

Years ago, Alice felt a calling to become a living liver donor. Life threw a curveball when an unrelated surgery forced her to pause that journey, but she never lost sight of her goal. We encouraged her to take all the time she needed to heal, and years later, she did exactly that.

On August 31, Alice finally got the call: she was approved to be a living liver donor.

She had originally hoped to donate to a child, but when she was asked if she would consider an adult woman, her response was immediate: “Of course… whoever needs it most… let them have it.” When people asked why she’d do this for a stranger, her answer was simple: “Because I can. And I want to.”

Two years later, she is thriving. Recovery had its moments of real exhaustion, but today she is healthy and her follow-up is complete. “The only reminder I have is the scar on my abdomen,” she says. “When I see it, it makes me smile.”

She chose to remain anonymous. “I do not need to know her name,” she explained. “The point was to give somebody hope. We are all community, you do not have to know someone to do something good for them.” Alice did eventually learn one detail: her recipient’s dream was to watch her daughter get married. Because of Alice’s gift, she did.

Her advice to anyone considering the same path is clear: “Information is power. Ask questions. You can say no at any point. But living donation is possible, and it can change someone’s entire life.”

Thank you, Alice, for your heart, your patience, and for representing the very best of humanity!

01/15/2026

3 things that you should know if your child is on immunosuppression! Pediatric pharmacist Hannah shares more :)

01/14/2026

A moment worth celebrating: 5,000 kidney transplants completed since we started transplanting kidneys in the 1980s. 💪

We are proud of our incredible team at CU Transplant Center and the countless lives changed along the way.

01/12/2026

Children’s Hospital Colorado successfully performed the hospital’s first-ever heart and liver dual organ transplant, with support from dozens of team members across 25 different multidisciplinary care teams. Only 38 other pediatric heart and liver dual organ transplants have been completed in the United States.

Children's Colorado performed the region's first-ever pediatric heart and liver dual organ transplant, which has only been done 38 times in the U.S.

01/07/2026

This New Year, we’re excited to share Caitlin’s journey. She’s a Colorado native and an only child, and her life took a turn when her mom Susie was unexpectedly diagnosed with liver disease. What started as a simple backache turned out to be much more serious, leading to her mom needing a liver transplant.

Before that appointment, Caitlin had never heard of living liver donation. “I had no idea it was even an option. I was just trying to wrap my head around the fact that you can donate 60% of your liver and it grows back.” Caitlin was determined to help, so she immediately signed up to be a living donor. When they weren’t a match, they joined a paired exchange program, where two families swap donors so each recipient can get the liver they need.

What happened next was unexpected and remarkable.
Everything was set for surgery. But on the morning of the operation, the donor meant for Caitlin’s mom tested positive for West Nile. Caitlin was already in surgery.

Her family made a brave decision: they allowed the team to continue, knowing Caitlin would want to help someone in need. She went on to donate 60% of her liver to a complete stanger. And then, just 29 days later, a completely selfless non-directed donor walked into the hospital and saved her mom’s life. Today, Caitlin’s mom is healthy, active, and back to living the life she loves.

Caitlin is two years post-donation and stronger than ever. “If I could have done the surgery again the next day to save my mom, I absolutely would have.” Caitlin now shares her story to raise awareness of living donation because so many families still don’t know this life-saving option exists.

01/05/2026

Recently, we celebrated a truly remarkable milestone: our 5,000th kidney transplant since we started transplanting kidneys in the 1980s!

Dr. Trevor Nydam, Chief of Transplant Surgery, put it best: "This is an amazing accomplishment for our team! The amount of morbidity and mortality benefit we created is profound. The amount of lives saved is really something for us all to be proud of!"

12/22/2025

From Army service to a life-saving transplant. Meet Renner as he shares his powerful transplant story.