Two-Time Kidney Transplant Recipient Pays It Forward

Marilyn Moulton was working as a successful Wall Street analyst when she suddenly fainted. “I went to my father’s doctor, who told me I was in kidney failure and needed to be admitted to the hospital,” she says.

Over the next several years, Marilyn would endure blood tests and hours-long hemodialysis three times a week. A social worker urged her to talk to Hackensack University Medical Center about a kidney transplant, and in 2015, she had her first kidney transplant.

The kidney worked well for a few years, but then started to deteriorate. She began having health issues and went back on dialysis. Because of her DNA and the high levels of antibodies in her blood from the first transplant, the odds of finding another match were slim.

Then, one morning on November 13, 2021, Marilyn got a call from Hackensack. They had a match. A medical team led by Michael J. Goldstein, M.D., FACS, director of Organ Transplantation, performed the surgery that afternoon. It was a success, and Marilyn was discharged home just four days later.

Even before her second kidney transplant, Moulton made the decision to give a portion of her estate to Hackensack. “I was so grateful to everyone at Hackensack that they helped me twice,” she says.

Marilyn willed more than $1 million through a bequest provision to Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation to support research in the Division of Organ Transplantation at the hospital through The Marilyn and Albert Roland Moulton Foundation, a name that honors her father. “I want them to use this gift for kidney research to help other people, so they don’t have to go through dialysis,” Marilyn says.

Adds Courtney Klein, director of development for the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation: “Marilyn is genuinely invested in making a difference. Her gift is a remarkable testament to Dr. Goldstein and the trust she has in him to better the lives of organ transplant patients—today and in the future.”

Dr. Goldstein and his team are involved in research activities to improve the quality of organ recovery and preservation. “By improving these techniques, we can help a lot more patients with life-saving transplants,” he says.

Adds Jacqueline M. Bartley, vice president of gift planning: “We are honored to celebrate Marilyn’s extraordinary generosity today, knowing her legacy will impact many patients for generations to come.”

Next Steps & Resources:

• To make an appointment with a doctor near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.
• Learn more about organ transplant services at Hackensack Meridian Health