A special Father's Day: Longwood man gives son a kidney
Longwood dad, son recovering after kidney-transplant surgery

By David Breen, Orlando Sentinel

A Longwood man has given his son an invaluable gift this Father's Day weekend: one of his kidneys.

Steven Zollman and his son, 24-year-old Brian Zollman, also of Longwood, are recovering at Florida Hospital Orlando after surgery Friday.

Brian, a recent graduate of the University of Central Florida, has had problems with one of his kidneys throughout his life, according to Florida Hospital.

About a year ago, Brian's doctors decided he needed a transplant. His father, the first person tested, was found to be a suitable donor.

The elder Zollman, 54, underwent a minimally invasive procedure to remove one kidney and should be out of the hospital in a few days, according to Florida Hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Roberts.

Because there are more variables and greater risk involved in receiving an organ transplant, Brian Zollman faces a longer recovery and likely will be in the hospital at least a week.

He will need to take anti-rejection drugs as well.

Neither man was available for interviews Saturday.

Transplant surgeons Dr. Thomas Chin and Dr. Bobby Nibhanupudy performed the surgeries, according to Florida Hospital, assisted by the hospital's transplant team.

According to UNOS, the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 111,000 people are on the waiting list for organ transplants. To learn more about organ donation and transplantation, visit unos.org.