Tracy Morgan Undergoes Successful Kidney Transplant

TODAY news services: Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan is recovering from a kidney transplant undergone earlier this month, his publicist said in a statement on Monday.

Morgan, 42, will miss at least two episodes of the television show, "30 Rock", in which he co-stars with Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin and plays a caricature of his own days on "Saturday Night Live." According to E! Online, his character's absence will be explained by some "happy news."

His successful transplant occurred around Dec. 10.

"Tracy is doing well and taking some much needed time to recover after the surgery," said the statement. "He is looking forward to going back to work after the holidays."

Morgan was diagnosed with diabetes nearly 15 years ago, but said in his first "30 Rock" season he did not take the disease seriously. The episodes Morgan will miss are due to air in March.

As E! Online pointed out, Morgan is the second member of "30 Rock" to have a transplant this year. Grizz Chapman, who was suffering from end-stage renal disease, also received a new kidney.

Reuters and E! Online contributed to this report.

30 Rock Actor Needs Kidney Transplant

According to a People.com article, 30 Rock actor Grizz Chapman needs a kidney transplant. He has been battling severe hypertension and recently learned a transplant is critical to his survival. Before he can be added to the transplant waiting list, he must lose 75 pounds to become a viable organ transplant recipient.

Chapman is facing a challenging and frightening health crisis that more than 105,000 Americans are also facing. Sadly, 18 people will die each day without receiving a second chance at life. This may seem like a startling number, but the truth is there is a national shortage of organ donors. Unless more people are willing to become organ donors, the number of patients waiting for lifesaving transplants will only increase day by day. In fact, a new name is added to the list every 11 minutes.

Like so many others, Chapman wants nothing more than to spend many more years with his friends and family, and he is ready for the fight of his life. "Whatever I can do for the longevity of my life, I'm going to do," he told People Magazine.

Please take the time to consider becoming an organ and tissue donor. You could truly save the life of someone suffering from a life-threatening illness. To accept the Transplant Challenge and become an organ donor, visit the NFT Transplant Challenge Web site. If you’d like to sign up to become a bone marrow donor, visit the Be the Match Registry.