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News Article: Daughter’s Kidney Transplant leads to a Higher Cause - National Kidney Registry - Facilitating Living Donor Transplants
As he searched for a kidney donor for his 10-year-old daughter, Garet Hil’s life took a twist.
After a long donor search and a successful transplant, the chief executive
and president of Melville-based Rapid Solutions Group stepped out of the
corporate world to launch Babylon-based National Kidney Registry.
During the donor search, Hil learned of the concept of paired kidney donation,
which pairs kidney failure patients who have a willing but incompatible donor
with others in the same situation. The registry is founded on this concept,
which Hil said will help those with kidney failure find the best kidney match
as quickly as possible.
A $200,000 personal investment got the nonprofit up and running, and
Hil’s experience in running companies in the corporate sector is proving
to be key as he expands National Kidney Registry.
The registry expects to have seven transplants completed by March and 100
transplants in 2008. By 2012, the registry aims to facilitate a lofty 10,000
of the 17,000 kidney transplants that happen each year.
Growth hasn’t been easy. There are plenty of challenges –
including the need to secure donations to survive.
The nonprofit has raised $170,000 from 112 donors since October.
Hil’s not making as much these days, but he said he feels he’s
had more of an impact, and he’s overwhelmed by those who have donated
their services, including the printer who prints brochures for free or the
photography studio that tells him to forget the bill.
“We’re saving lives, and a lot of people really get into that,” he said.
