An Alabama woman has successfully received a gene-edited pig kidney transplant at NYU Langone Health.

This was the seventh pig organ transplant completed by NYU Langone surgeons.

Towana Looney, 53, miraculously walked out of the hospital just a few days following the procedure.

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In an NYU Langone press conference, Looney expressed feeling “overjoyed” and “blessed to have received this gift – a second chance at life.”

“I want to give courage to those out there on dialysis,” she said.

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst and NYU Langone clinical professor of medicine, joined “America Reports” on Wednesday to share how this should bring hope for the future of transplant medicine.

“We have a great shortage of body organs,” he said. “And even if we get people to donate, we’re still going to have a big shortage … so we’ve got to do something.”

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“We can bio-engineer them, or we can use them from other species, [which is] called xenotransplant.”

Siegel commended Looney on her “incredible” journey, which began when she donated her own kidney to her mother 25 years ago.

“She is looking for any other possibility, any other chance, at having a normal life again.”

Looney then developed a rare complication while pregnant, according to Siegel, which led to kidney failure.

NYU Langone Transplant Institute Director Dr. Robert Montgomery called Looney a “hero” while speaking to Siegel in a separate interview.

Dr. Marc Siegel joined “America Reports” to discuss NYU Langone’s successful pig kidney transplant. (Fox News)

“She gave the gift of life to her mother,” he said. “She’s someone who already paid a really significant price for an incredible act of generosity.”

“She is looking for any other possibility, any other chance, at having a normal life again.”

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Montgomery shared that he thinks Looney will “change the face of transplantation.”

According to Siegel, Montgomery is one to know about the struggle of waiting for a donated organ, since he himself had a heart transplant after surviving 30 cardiac arrests.

Dr. Robert Montgomery called Looney “one of those pioneers” in transplantation medicine. (Fox News)

“My epiphany in living through that – and realizing that I probably wouldn’t live through it – was that we needed another source of organs,” said Montgomery, noting that “far less” than 1% of people who die every year are eligible to be an organ donor.

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“At the same time, the number of people who can benefit from an organ transplant continues to increase,” he added.

Out of the seven pig organ transplants that have been performed at NYU Langone, Siegel confirmed that “this one worked” to the extent that Looney was able to walk out of the hospital.

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Montgomery explained to Siegel that this is because the kidney had been modified with 10 genetic modifications.

“This is going to be a big deal when we get past the rejections,” Siegel said. (Joe Carrotta via NYU Langone Health)

The “key” now, according to the doctor, is to focus on immunology to help ensure that Looney’s immune system doesn’t reject the kidney.

“That’s why going forward, in the future, this is going to be a big deal when we get past the rejections,” Siegel added.

“This is the future.”

Out of the 100,000 people awaiting an organ transplant each year, 80,000 of them are waiting for kidneys, according to Siegel, but this type of transplant could also extend to hearts and livers.

“This is the future,” he said.

The accessibility of lab-manufactured, or bio-engineered, organs is “much farther away” than xenotransplantation, which is “in front of us now,” Montgomery added.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency due to H5N1, more commonly known as avian influenza or bird flu.

The emergency follows an outbreak of the virus among dairy cows in Southern California farms, according to the news release on the governor’s website.

After initially being reported in Texas and Kansas in March, bird flu has been confirmed in cattle across 16 U.S. states, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported.

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There have been no cases of human transmission of bird flu in California, the release stated, with all infections linked to exposure to infected cattle.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement. 

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“Building on California’s testing and monitoring system — the largest in the nation — we are committed to further protecting public health, supporting our agriculture industry, and ensuring that Californians have access to accurate, up-to-date information,” he continued.

“While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus.”

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement. (Mario Tama)

Also on Wednesday, the first case of severe bird flu was confirmed in a human patient in Louisiana, according to the CDC.

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The health agency maintains that “the current public health risk is low,” but said it is “watching the situation carefully.”

President-elect Donald Trump wants to do away with daylight saving time (DST), a move that some experts say could improve health and wellness.

Trump announced the goal in a post on Truth Social last Friday.

“The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t!” he wrote. “Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.”

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With rare exceptions, the vast majority of the U.S. follows DST, which mandates adjusting clocks forward one hour in the spring (the second Sunday in March) to extend daylight during summer evenings. 

In the fall (the first Sunday in November), the clocks are turned back to standard time.

The practice was first introduced in 1918 with the Standard Time Act, a wartime measure designed to conserve energy during World War I, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

It was again implemented in 1942 during World War II to conserve fuel and “promote national security and defense.”

For two decades, the rule was not enforced, until Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, a federal mandate that established daylight saving time.

Doing away with disruption

Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a board-certified neurologist at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, supports Trump’s aim to do away with DST.

“Honestly, it’s about time, no pun intended,” he told Fox News Digital. “The historical reason for DST doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“Honestly, it’s about time, no pun intended.”

Changing the clocks twice a year can cause disruptions in sleep patterns, which have been known to cause various health-related issues, according to Murray. 

“Most of the issues occur in the springtime when transitioning to daylight saving time (losing an hour of sleep),” he said.

Changing the clocks twice a year can cause disruptions in sleep patterns, which have been known to cause various health-related issues. (iStock)

Several studies have shown that this change results in decreased sleep duration and increased fatigue during daytime hours, the doctor noted.  

“This often affects cognitive performance and seems to slow thought processing,” Murray added. 

Mood issues, particularly depression, have been shown to increase during time changes.

Several studies have shown that the time change results in decreased sleep duration and increased fatigue during daytime hours. (iStock)

“Several studies have also shown an increased risk of stroke during the first two to three days from the time switch,” Murray said.

“This correlates to the disruption in the circadian rhythm — and likely the overall stress it causes on the body.”

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Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist in Manhattan and Washington, D.C., agreed that sleep quality might improve if daylight saving time is eliminated.

“The abrupt shift in time can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to poor sleep quality and fatigue,” he told Fox News Digital. 

“If daylight saving time is eliminated, it would help maintain a consistent sleep schedule, thereby reducing some of the issues stemming from poor sleep quality.”

One psychotherapist said his patients are more tired and less focused following the time change. (iStock)

Alpert said he notices the effects of the time change on his own patients each spring and fall.

“My patients are more tired and less focused, and often complain about an increase in stress,” he noted. “A stable time system could mitigate these effects.”

“The abrupt shift in time can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to poor sleep quality and fatigue.”

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“Ultimately, having a consistent time system would allow people to stay more alert, and we might see an increase in productivity.”

Consistent light and dark cycles are also critical for regulating the body’s circadian rhythm, Alpert pointed out.

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“Disruptions caused by daylight saving have been linked to an increase in mood disorders, which is consistent with what I see in my practice,” he said.

There could also be a decrease in accidents and workplace injuries, as studies show these often increase following the time change, according to the psychotherapist. 

‘A seasonal shift’? 

Despite the likely benefits, there could be a downside to eliminating DST, Alpert said.

“Shorter evening daylight hours could potentially affect people’s motivation to be active or social after work,” one expert said, noting that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) isn’t just a winter phenomenon. (iStock)

“Without daylight saving time, there would be fewer hours of sunlight in the evening during spring and summer. This could reduce opportunities for outdoor activities after work, which many people find enjoyable and beneficial for mental health,” he told Fox News Digital. 

“I’d have real concerns about how this might impact people, especially people who have been prone to mood issues.”

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) isn’t just a winter phenomenon, the expert noted.  

“Shorter evening daylight hours could potentially affect people’s motivation to be active or social after work.”

“People will adapt and adjust if a change is made — and will ultimately thrive.”

Also, given how long most Americans have been adjusting their clocks, it could be “difficult or even disorienting” for people to adjust to not having DST, said Alpert — “as for many people, it signifies a seasonal shift.”

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“My guess is that if a change is made, there will be backlash, as the arguments for eliminating it are as compelling as those for keeping it,” Alpert predicted.  

He added, “That said, over time, people will adapt and adjust if a change is made — and will ultimately thrive.”