In June, an Illinois woman became the first COVID-19 patient in the U.S. to receive a life-saving double-lung transplant -- after the virus irreversibly damaged her lungs. She is recovering but it hasn't been easy.

Across the country, nearly 95,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant. And the list has been growing for years. That's pushed some people to try unusual ways to find donors.

Nearly 100,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant in the U.S., but many will never get one. Instead they'll stay on dialysis for the rest of their lives. A team of doctors has found a possible solution, by infecting patients with a potentially fatal virus.

The new study will track 160 kidney transplants. Recipients will be monitored after surgery for signs of organ rejection, organ failure, and HIV-related complications.

A push to get people registered as organ donors comes from racing families who have realized the importance of donation in healing.