A pig kidney kept Tim Andrews off dialysis for a record 271 days before he received a human donor kidney, offering hope for easing the organ shortage. He entered the procedure assuming he wouldn’t survive, framing his consent as a contribution to research rather than a bet on his own life. That’s a striking example of consent under extreme circumstances, but it raises the question of how freely someone who believes death is near can weigh risk versus altruism. As animal organs become a potential bridge to human transplants, protecting informed choice must remain central. Read more here.