people everywhere are learning that plaque buildup is a real reason to lower high cholesterol. and that crestor can help. along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol, it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone, like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. you should tell your doctor about other medicines you're taking, or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. like others, while you've been building your life, plaque may have been building in your arteries. find out more at crestor.com. then ask your doctor if it's time for crestor. announcer: if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. my daughter was with me. i took a bayer aspirin out of my purse and chewed it. my doctor said the bayer aspirin saved my life. please talk to your doctor about aspirin and your heart.

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cost of raising a child in this country. for a child born in '08, the estimate is $291,570 for a middle-income family they say. that is up to age 18. so it doesn't include the cost of college. by comparison the cost of a child born in 1960 was all of $25,000 and change. a great picture from space tonight. the mars rover opportunity has spotted something on mars and sent back a stunning photograph, what is believed to be a meteorite there in the foreground. two feet across. scientists have dubbed it block island because of its size. we thought it might also be because it looks look one of those beautiful rhode island beaches on the real block island. charles gwathmey has died. during his life as an architect he helped to transform where americans live and work. his first project, a house for his parents on long island, in 1966, built for $35,000. it became hugely influential.

he went on to become one of the great architects of the last half century. he left his mark across city skylines and college campuses and built spectacular homes. many for celebrity clients with names like spielberg and seinfeld. charles gwathmey was 71 years old. >> up next, an extraordinary spirit of giving that is saving lives on the brink tonight. a match maker doctor who is making a difference. ght. a match maker doctor who is making a difference. (announcer) before they give you the lowest price, some pharmacies make you work for it with memberships and fees. but not walmart. they have hundreds of generic prescriptions

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we have a special story in our making a difference report tonight. an act of sacrifice that goes way beyond a single person. this one involves seven people who created a chain reaction that made the ultimate fference for seven other people they had never met. none of it would ever have happened without a surgeon who has made it his mission to tackle a challenge that takes a disproportionate toll on african-americans. our own tom costello has the story. >> reporter: 5:30 a.m. in

washington and larrycfadder is headed to surgery. someone, he doesn't know who, will soon get one of his kidneys. >> we are going to take good care of you. once again you are a hero, my man. this is beautiful. reporter: also deeply personal. larry's wife elizabeth is in kidney failure and on dialysis. >> i do not want to live like this. i want to go, i want to die. that's the way i say it to myself. >> reporter: the trouble, larry's blood isn't compatible for a kidney transplant. but maybe he could donate to someone else. >> i live in the house with her. i hear her every night crying and talking to god. there is nothing i can do. >> reporter: linda russell is here to give a kidney though no one she knows needs one. >> you are helping to save many lives. >> reporter: she has flown in from st. louis simply to donate. >> to think that people, thousands of people die every year in need of a kidney. that's why.

>> reporter: people like daisha pinkard whose father gave her a kidney 14 years ago but now that kidney is failing. >> it is very draining. it's no kind of life i wish on anyone. >> x marks the spot. >> reporter: jordan bro is here, donating a kidney simply because he can. >> if i have two and somebody can use one. makes me uncomfortable for a little while. seems like it is worth it. >> reporter: there is craig, dominique, olarmi, laurie, terry, brian, jacqueline, sean and elaine. >> 15 -- >> reporter: in all an unprecedented 14 surgeries over four days with ambulances rushing kidneys between georgetown university hospital and washington hospital center. dr. keith bolanson is director of kidney transplants at georgetown. dney disease in this country of especially in the big urban centers. >> reporter: diabetes and high blood pressure are to blame.

nationwide, 80,000 people are waiting for a kidney. 32% are black. and there aren't enough donors. here in washington, d.c. the need is especially acute. 6,000 people are on dialysis. vast majority african-american. yet doctors only perform 250 transplants each year. one big problem minorities often build up antibodies that cause organ rejection. so the doctor helped pioneer a process to filter the antibodies from blood plasma making a transplant a reality. >> wthink that with this procedure that we could perform thousands more transplants in this country. approximately 2,000 to 3,000 more transplants every year. >> reporter: without the procedure none of his seven patients could have received a new kidney. two weeks after their surgeries they gathered for the first time to meet their donors. elizabeth's kidney came from jordan.

elizabeth joyner, jordan bro. [ applause ] >> linda's kidney went to olermi. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: and larry donated to daisha. >> this man is an angel. my angel. >> reporter: for seven people and seven more, the ultimate gift of life. tom costello, nbc news, washington. we wanted to let you know there is a lot more on this story, on our website, nightly.msnbc.com. you will be able to see many of the donors and recipients live tomorrow morning on "today." for now, for us, that's our broadcast for this tuesday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. we, of course, hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. we, of course, hope to see you back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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