Long Island, NY – Snowstorm Liver Transplant a Miracle for a Jewish Woman

Long Island, NY – Four police departments, two helicopters, one plane and dozens of plows teamed up to get a Long Island woman to her liver transplant surgery – just in the nick of time.

Cancer patient Maryann (Mack) Steinbock’s doctor called late Thursday night to tell his patient her year of waiting was over. A liver was finally available – but there were daunting logistical problems before the operation could occur.

The liver was in Buffalo, the patient was in Nassau County, the doctors were in the Bronx, and more than 20 inches of snow were piling up outside.

“We were very concerned,” said Dr. Milan Kinkhabwala, head of the liver transplant program at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. “We only had a 12-hour window to operate and it was going to be very close.”

The organ was harvested at 4 a.m. Friday, meaning doctors had just under seven hours to get everything ready and still have enough time to complete the five-hour surgery.

“When I got the call, I couldn’t believe it,” said Steinbock, 59. “I live all the way out in Atlantic Beach, and I had to get to the hospital, and there was all this snow.”

Hospital officials in the Bronx got on the phone with the NYPD, who coordinated with Nassau cops and the highway patrol to give Steinbock and her husband a seamless trip across three counties to Montefiore.

“It was like being in a movie,” Steinbock said. “All of a sudden, the police come, and there were these cute motorcycle guys. Everybody stopped traffic and there was even a helicopter.”

“The drive normally takes an hour,” said her husband, Corey Steinbock, 67. “This time it took 35 minutes. I clocked it.”

Nassau cop Rob Prince was tasked with driving the police SUV with Steinbock inside.

“She was very calm,” Prince said. “We were a little nervous trying to get there, so she started talking about the Mets to calm us down.”

The liver was flown in by plane and helicopter, after getting an escort from state troopers, and arrived at the hospital just before Steinbock did. With time winding down, doctors went to work.

“Once we had everything in place the surgery went very well,” Kinkhabwala said. “She’s doing very well and should be going home later this week.”

Corey Steinbock said the quick improvement in his wife’s health is remarkable.

“Last week she was pale and all shriveled up. She looked like a ghost,” he said. “Now she’s like a blossoming flower.”

Maryann Steinbock plans to buy tickets for all of her rescuers to accompany her to the Mets’ Opening Day at Citi Field. After that, she’ll start planning a larger than usual Passover dinner.

“You’re all coming for Pesach,” she said to the officers at Montefiore yesterday.

“And this summer I want to ride the cute officer’s motorcycle.”