An Orlando woman received the first pancreas and kidney transplant at Florida Hospital.
The hospital began their liver and pancreas services at the beginning of June. They are the only transplant center in the Orlando area.
Doctors expect to perform 12 to 15 pancreas kidney transplants a year because that's the number of Type 1 diabetics in the area currently on dialysis.
They said Kathy Malley is a good candidate because she suffered from Type 1 diabetes as well as renal failure.
Her new pancreas will automatically control her blood sugar levels for her, something she had to check at least six times a day.
"I don't want to say I was willing to be the guinea pig, because that's not how I look at it at all,� Malley said. “I'm just saying it doesn't bother me to be the first one to have done this for them."
Nearly 100,000 Americans are currently on the waiting list for an organ transplant.
