Philadelphia Resident Donates Kidney to Stranger at Penn Transplant Institute
Quincy Ponvert, a 24-year-old resident of Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood, donated a kidney to a stranger on May 14, 2024, at Penn’s Transplant Institute. The procedure followed Ponvert's final medical appointment, where a physician assistant, Mary Cate Wilhelm, confirmed the plan to remove Ponvert’s left kidney. The organ was tracked via GPS and sent to a recipient in Minnesota.
Ponvert, inspired by a close friend, decided to apply as a donor after graduating from Swarthmore College. The process included extensive medical evaluations, including blood and tissue tests, psychological assessments, and a review of family health history.
Transplant Surgeon Matthew Levine conducted the surgery, which took three hours. Ponvert is expected to fully recover within six weeks, with minimal restrictions post-surgery.
Ponvert’s donation was facilitated through the National Kidney Registry’s Family Voucher Program, which allows donors to provide up to five vouchers for family members to gain priority on the organ waitlist if needed. This program aims to encourage more altruistic donations, further supported by a federal policy that prioritizes donors on transplant waitlists should they need a kidney in the future.