At a recent breakfast to kick off the 100th anniversary of Emory University Hospital, I expected to hear about the history and accomplishments of the institution, and did. After John T. Fox, CEO of Emory Healthcare, and Robert J. Bachman, COO of Emory University Hospital, spoke briefly, they turned the floor over to Emory Transplant Center Director Dr. Christian P. Larsen and a patient, Laura Cochran, to tell about the exciting developments in islet cell transplants.

Fox later said, with pride, She [Cochran] stole the show.

Atlanta is celebrating a number of hospital and nursing school landmark anniversaries this year. This event just reinforced the impression that quality health care institutions are more interested in the present and the future than in their pasts.

Emory University Hospital, which performs about 300 organ transplants a year, has achieved a remarkable number of transplant firsts in Georgia. In 2003, it became one of a select few worldwide to perform islet cell transplantation as a way
to control Type 1 diabetes.

The Islets of Langerhans are clusters of cells in the pancreas that produce and release insulin in response to glucose levels in the blood. Insulin allows the body to use glucose to produce energy.

About 100,000 Americans suffer from Type 1 diabetes, and have lost the ability to produce insulin.

In the 1970s, researchers began trying to replace defective islet cells with productive ones from a donated pancreas.

" Peppered throughout the gland, islet cells make up only 2 percent of the pancreas, " Larsen said. "It takes a specialized
team of four to six people about 10 hours to recover a teaspoonful of cells and then they have to be tested to be sure they're
functioning."

In contrast, the infusion into the recipient's body only takes about 10 minutes, but most patients have to be operated on twice. A key factor to transplant success is the effectiveness of immunosuppressive drugs to counter rejection.

Emory performed eight transplants in 2003, and seven are showing evidence of good islet function. Larsen spoke nowledgeably
about ongoing research to improve the success rates, the use of animal cells and possible breakthroughs in posttransplant
drugs.

Cochran spoke about the miracle of getting her life back. A Type 1 diabetic for 17 years, she had been attached to an insulin pump for 10 years and monitored her glucose levels seven times a day. Her body no longer warned her of the onset of hypoglycemia, causing blackouts and emergency room visits.

"What the Emory doctors have given me is a chance to have a normal family life," she said.

The pump, the constant monitoring, the strict regimen and hypoglycemic episodes are out. Spontaneity, feeling healthy and being able to drive for a field trip are in.

"I feel so blessed not to see the fear in my children's faces or hear, `Mom, are you going too low?' Not hearing those words is sweet music," Cochran said.

Cochran's words spoke volumes about what keeps doctors, nurses, clinicians and researchers pushing the transplant envelope, and why the United Network for Organ Sharing encourages more people to become donors. In the end, it's about giving people, some as young as 1, anotherchance at life.

"Because of the gift of a stranger, I have seen many medical miracles and even more examples of undying spirit in patients who have made the most of their lives after transplant," said Corby D'Amico, cardiac transplant coordinator at Emory University Hospital.

This month, two transplant coordinators, D'Amico and Meg Jeffrey, take you behind the scenes of Emory's transplant program.

— Do you have any story ideas for Pulse? We’d love to hear more about your career and what you do after hours. E-mail me at pulseeditor@ajc.com or call 404-526- 2078.