Utah Donor Registry

Lyle When Lyle first became sick back in 1982, liver transplants were not being done in Utah. As his liver disease progressed, exciting things were happening in the field of transplantation in Utah. The liver transplant program in Utah started in late 1985 and Lyle was the second person on this list.
When the call came, Lyle learned that he would be the first liver transplant patient in Utah. His doctor had gone back to Pittsburg to learn about their program and the surgery itself. The only actual liver transplant experience he had was on pigs. “I kept asking him what happened to the pigs. Never did get an answer,” Lyle said jokingly. The surgery was a huge success and the elementary school principal was able to return to work about 2 months later.
Now, over 20 years later, Lyle is grateful for the time he has had to spend with his family, including grandchildren and great grandchildren.