Omaha, Neb. ? The state’s top medical officer was recovering from a liver transplant, donated to her personally by her neighbor – the chief of infectious diseases at Creighton Medical Center.

Dr. Joann Schaefer, 40, of Nebraska Health and Human Services was continuing to recover after five hours of surgery at the Nebraska Medical Center on Monday. So was Dr. Gary Gorby of Creighton, Schaefer’s neighbor who happened to have a compatible blood type.

“It was a tremendous gift,” said her husband, Phil Haines.

Gorby donated half his liver to Schaefer, and doctors expect the organ to grow to full size. They expected Gorby’s liver to recover, too.

Schaefer was diagnosed with liver damage 12 years ago, and worked to stay fit to put off the need for an eventual transplant. But three months ago, Schaefer began noticing signs of liver failure.

Schaefer’s donor needed A or O blood. Gorby was a match, and told his friend that he was going to get more tests done to become her donor.