The groundbreaking event, which involved half a dozen operating rooms and more than 100 medical professionals, involved a complex organ swap among four recipients who had relatives who were willing to donate kidneys but were incompatible, as well as one recipient who was on a waiting list and one donor who was willing to donate a kidney to anyone who needed it.

The matched donors and recipients were all strangers to one another who traveled from California, Canada, Maine, Maryland, West Virginia and Florida to Baltimore for the surgeries.

Honore Rothstein donated a kidney to Kristine Jantzi; Jantzi's adoptive mother, Florence Jantzi, donated her kidney to George Brooks; Brooks' wife, Sharon Brooks, donated her kidney to Gary Persell; Persell's wife, Leslie, gave her kidney to Gerald Loevner; Loevner's wife, Sandra, gave a kidney to Sheila Thornton.

All of the recipients and donors were doing well following the procedures, according to a Johns Hopkins spokesperson.