Our Well-Wishes To Hand Transplant Recipient

Joe Kinan of Lakeville may have been one of the lucky ones on that horrible night back in February of 2003.  He escaped the Station Night Club fire with his life.   100 others who were  in the West Warwick, Rhode Island club that night died.   But Joe was badly burned.  He spent nearly one year in the hospital, and endured more than 120 surgeries.    Om Sunday night, Joe underwent another surgery.

This one was done at Mass General Hospital in Boston.   Last year, Mass General announced that it was launching a hand transplant program with the goal of eventually developing a way to replace limbs without subjecting patients to a lifetime of dangerous anti-rejection drugs.   The surgery on Joe began on Sunday, and continued into Monday.

It was the very first in Mass General's hand transplant program.   The hospital is reporting the surgery went well, and that the doctors are cautiously optimistic about Joe's prospects of gaining use of his new hand.   It's one big step in the long recovery process for this very brave and tenacious man.   Joe Kinan, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with you.