A Baldwin Hills man is recovering after receiving a triple transplant.
Valance Sams, 46, received a liver, heart and kidney transplant in a 20-hour surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
“I am just thankful for a new day, whether cloudy or sunny, everyday is my birthday,” Sams said.
Sams is now the 46th person in the United States to undergo this procedure.
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“I have had one surgery for three organs, the heart, the liver at the kidney,” Sams said.
“This triple organ transplant was absolutely remarkable,” Dr. Nicholas Nissen, Surgical Director at Cedars-Sinai, said.
For the past 10 years, the Baldwin Hills dad had nothing but complaints, with his health declining and his organs failing.
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Six weeks ago he was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai where doctors told him a single donor was available.
Sams said he was told there was a possibility he may not survive.
“I had to sign off on it and that was the hardest thing I had to do, it was either all in or ride it out with the bad organs and I am going to give my shot at life,” Sams said.
His son, Valance Sans Jr. was with him.
“That last fist bump was just you know, I will see you on the other side,” the son said.
It took a team of eight doctors 20 hours.
“We are watching a newly beating heart in the chest while we start to do our work in the abdomen,” Dr. Nissen said.
Sams is now home and recovering.
“Wow, I got my dad back again,” Sams Jr. said.
“We expect him to be a wonderful older gentleman. Talk to your family, and say I want to be an organ donor, I want to change lives,” Dr. Nissen said.
The father and son are back on the field with the Baldwin Hills all stars.
“You can have a good outcome,” Sams said.
