Surgeon runs through Philadelphia half marathon to rescue liver donation

A good doctor is hard to find, let alone one that’s willing to go the extra mile for their patients.

In the case of Philadelphia surgeon, Dr. Adam Bodzin, that extra mile was extremely literal.

Bodzin was getting set to perform a liver transplant on a gravely-ill patient at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital last November when he got word that the driver of the organ delivery truck was having a hard time cutting through the throngs of runners participating in the Philadelphia Half Marathon.

“I had a feeling that it might be an issue. Just getting into work, myself, that morning (was difficult),” Bodzin told The John Oakley Show.

The liver was being directly transported to the hospital from New York and time of the essence.

“All organs have their own shelf life, one might say,” said Bodzin, explaining that they were nearing the end of the optimal eight-hour shelf life for a liver.

Already clad in a pair of sneakers, Bodzin made the decision to run the approximately 800 metres — about half a mile — to retrieve the liver from the stranded truck.

He threw on a winter coat over his teal scrubs, to fend off the day’s frigid temperatures, and took off toward the liver, dodging runners along the way.

Luckily, Bodzin came across a police officer on the course of his run. He explained the situation and the officer said he’d give Bodzin a lift back to the hospital once the liver was retrieved.

He secured the liver safely and carefully maneuvered the organ, which was packed in a giant cardboard box filled with ice and organ-preserving solution, back across the race course to take advantage of his special police escort.

Once back inside the hospital, Bodzin inspected the liver, decided it was in good shape and performed a successful surgery on his 66-year-old patient.

“He went beyond the call of duty. I guess he’s got a cape on underneath that white jacket,” Charles Rowe, the recipient of the liver, told Fox29.

Bodzin told Fox29 that he hopes the story inspires more people to become organ donors.

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