Editing Evergreen Park, Illinois (section)

== First successful organ transplant ==
On June 17, 1950, [[Little Company of Mary Hospital (Evergreen Park)|Little Company of Mary Hospital]], located at 2800 W. 95th St. in Evergreen Park, was the site of the world's first successful [[organ transplant]]. [[Richard H. Lawler|Dr. Richard Lawler, MD]], an exceptional surgeon at Cook County Hospital, led a team of doctors that performed the hazardous and highly controversial operation. In order to prepare for the experimental procedure, Lawler spent several years researching and practicing various organ transplants and used canines as the testing subjects. He concluded through his research that the most probable means of achieving success for organ transplantation would involve a human kidney from a post-mortem donor. Realizing he had the opportunity "get it all started," Lawler decided to attempt the medical first on a chronically ill patient in dire need of a new kidney. The recipient of the first successful organ transplantation was Ruth Tucker, a 44-year-old Chicago-area woman who suffered from terminal [[polycystic kidney disease]].  Tucker amazingly survived for another 5 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lcmhealthnews.org/first-successful-organ-transplant-little-company-of-mary-1950/|title=First Successful Organ Transplant, Little Company of Mary, 1950 {{!}} LCM Health News|website=lcmhealthnews.org|language=en-US|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/27/obituaries/rh-lawler-pioneer-of-kidney-transplants.html|title=R.H. Maloney, Pioneer Of Kidney Transplants|work=The New York Times |date=July 27, 1982 |access-date=May 18, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=LittleCompanyofMary|title=Little Company of Mary Hospital 1950 Kidney Transplant Featured on "Through the Decades"|date=June 17, 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP9gnlmEyo8| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101223932/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP9gnlmEyo8| archive-date=January 1, 2016 | url-status=dead|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1999/04/24/49-years-later-hospitals-pioneering-surgery-honored/|title=49 Years Later, Hospital's Pioneering Surgery Honored|work=tribunedigital-chicagotribune|access-date=May 18, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Meszaros |first=Liz |date=March 25, 2020 |url=https://www.mdlinx.com/article/on-this-day-in-medical-history-first-kidney-transplant-performed-by-richard-lawler-md/lfc-1738 |title=On this day in medical history: First kidney transplant performed by Richard Lawler, MD |website=MDLinx |access-date=December 24, 2022}}</ref>

Dr. Lawler's pioneering achievement did not escape criticism. He was repudiated by many of his colleagues and criticized by the Catholic church. By the 1970s, with organ transplantation evolving into a widely recognized life-saving necessity, Lawler and his entire team earned the much-deserved respect from the medical community, and their reputation healed.  Dr. Lawler retired in 1979 and died in 1982.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Borlik |first=Kathy |title=Former Tribune reporter writes book about the first kidney transplant |url=https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/lifestyle/2021/09/19/new-book-tells-story-first-kidney-transplant-1950/8355738002/ |access-date=October 11, 2022 |website=South Bend Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>