Transplant gives a second chance: Kielce hosts the 2nd Świętokrzyskie Transplantation Meetings

In brief

• The second Świętokrzyskie Transplantation Meetings were held in Kielce on 13 November 2026 under the theme "Transplant – the joy of life".
• The public session featured personal stories from transplant patients and talks by regional specialists on organ donation.
• An evening conference for doctors and transplant coordinators followed at the Binkowski Hotel, with the event promoting donation awareness.

A public session with patient stories

The public part of the event, titled "Transplant – the joy of life", opened at 11:00 in the auditorium of the Collegium Medicum of Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce (II Świętokrzyskie Spotkanie Transplantologiczne pod hasłem „Przeszczep – radość życia” – Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Świętokrzyskiego). Patients shared how their lives changed before and after receiving a new organ, and the meeting was open to residents and students free of charge (Przeszczep daje drugie życie. W Kielcach odbędą się II Świętokrzyskie Spotkania Transplantologiczne. – Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Świętokrzyskiego). Among the speakers were the patients Piotr Kowalczyk and Magdalena Jarzyńska, whose accounts were described as among the most moving moments of the day (Dostali szansę na nowe życie. Pacjenci dzielą się swoimi historiami związanymi z przeszczepem – cozadzien.pl).

Speakers and organisers

The meeting was organised by the University's Centre for Medical Staff Training and supported by the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship self-government, with honorary patronage from marshal Renata Janik. Deputy marshal Marek Bogusławski welcomed attendees, and the university rector, prof. Beata Wojciechowska, also took part. Presentations covered organ donation and transplantation in the region, including the qualification of kidney recipients, given by doctors Paweł A. Zieliński, Paweł Wróbel and Jacek Bicki. Journalist and producer Michał Figurski also addressed the gathering.

Professional conference in the evening

A separate conference for physicians of various specialties and transplant coordinators was scheduled for 17:00 at the Binkowski Hotel in Kielce. Its aim was to exchange experience and deepen medical knowledge, with a focus on the care of donors and recipients (Przeszczep to drugie życie. Poruszające historie pacjentów: „Mogę godzinami patrzeć w gwiazdy i czuć wiatr we włosach” – eska.pl).

Why it matters locally

Organisers presented the event as a way to promote organ donation and raise public awareness of how transplantation saves lives. Regional officials linked the development of transplant care in Świętokrzyskie to both specialist work and public sensitivity toward donation.