Long Island Business NEWS
12/14/2007
By Alison Snyder
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.