Sharing Mayo Clinic: Transplant patient says ‘I’m in the safest place I can be’
George Caceres’ smile is contagious. Just ask his Mayo Clinic care team, who came to know him well during his 165-day stay after a liver transplant. “He was so pleasant to visit,” says Lyda Velez, his case manager. “Even on days when he didn’t feel well and didn’t take off his [sleep] mask, he would […]
College athlete undergoes liver transplant while infected with COVID-19
Jaleezia Gibson, a 19-year-old college student and track athlete from Pennsylvania, was in her dorm room at Minnesota State University, Mankato, when she began feeling poorly. After two days of nausea and vomiting, she called 911. Soon thereafter, she was airlifted to Mayo Clinic from the Emergency Department at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. She […]
Marathon runner makes plan for next race after a heart transplant
When Terry Collier learned he would need a heart transplant, he was nothing but shocked. The former director of the Las Vegas and Los Angeles marathons, who had run over 140 races himself, had no warning signs of a heart condition outside of becoming short of breath one February day in 2018. At the time, […]
Science Saturday: Pioneering living donor cartilage transplants
Mayo Clinic is poised to establish what is believed to be the first-ever living cartilage donor bank to provide a new regenerative option for healing common knee injuries. That donor bank will lay the foundation for living donor musculoskeletal tissue transplants — a first at Mayo Clinic and possibly in the world — to help restore […]
Chain of transplants gives gift of life to Minnesota teacher
Nearly 100,000 Americans are on a waiting list to receive a kidney transplant. For one Minnesota woman, finding a match appeared to be hopeless. She had a 1 in 3,000 chance of finding a kidney that her body would accept. Waiting on the deceased donor list could have been a death sentence, but thanks to […]
Innovative transplants offer hope for patients with rare autoimmune disorder
As a career military man, Chris Ryals was used to being physically active. The Air Force master sergeant regularly ran, visited the gym and lifted weights. But in early 2017, he was diagnosed with latent tuberculosis and started on oral medication. Soon thereafter, he began experiencing pain in his feet while preparing for a fitness […]
Patient with a heart/liver transplant says thanks ‘with all my old heart and new one’
It’s not like Ernie Hernandez wasn’t used to the hot Arizona sun. He was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and worked as a skilled contractor in the masonry trade for 25 years. But the brutally hot sun one afternoon in 2018 proved to be too much. Ernie passed out. “After I passed out that […]
Mother and son thankful for gift of transplant
This year, Thanksgiving is a holiday that has more meaning to Jean Austin, 62. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic making 2020 a year many would like to forget, Jean will be celebrating a year made possible thanks to a selfless act on love. But what makes the milestone even more meaningful is that her donor was […]
Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 lung damage could lead to a transplant
Severe lung damage has been a serious outcome for COVID-19 patients who survive and face recovery from the disease. “As we know, lungs are one of the major organs that are involved with COVID infection,” says Dr. Sadia Shah, a Mayo Clinic transplant pulmonologist and critical care physician. “In severe cases, the patient’s lungs can […]
COVID-19 lung damage could lead to transplant
COVID-19 lung damage could lead to transplant October 16, 2020 Severe lung damage has been a serious outcome for COVID-19 patients who survive and face recovery from the disease. “As we know, lungs are one of the major organs that are involved with COVID infection,” says Dr. Sadia Shah, a Mayo Clinic transplant pulmonologist and critical care physician. […]