Long before he set foot in a research lab, Alan Alwakeel was already asking big questions about medicine, technology and how to bring the two together. By the time he entered Mayo Clinic's SPARK (Science Program for the Advancement of Research Knowledge) program as a high school junior in the summer of 2024, he also was no stranger to experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI). 

Within two years, the project he began through SPARK had advanced well beyond the scope of a typical high school research experience, opening new opportunities for scientific exploration. 

SPARK is Mayo Clinic in Florida's research mentorship program that places high school students inside working laboratories on the campus. Scholars are matched with physician-scientists and researchers to design and carry out their projects while building research, critical thinking and professional skills. 

Instead of joining an existing project as most SPARK participants do, Alan arrived with a concept that captured the attention of Mayo Clinic's research faculty. He wanted to find a better way to identify effective cancer treatments, combining his interests in medicine and computer science. 

That idea would become the foundation of a project that moved far beyond a typical high school research experience. 

Building a 'virtual cell' 

As a SPARK scholar, Alan began developing an AI-powered "virtual cell" — a computational model designed to simulate how cancer cells respond to different drug combinations. He worked under the mentorship of Cui Tao, Ph.D., chair of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics Research. 

The problem Alan set out to solve is well known. Testing drug combinations in the lab takes time. With thousands of potential combinations, identifying the most effective treatments requires a highly systematic approach. 

Alan's approach aimed to shift that process into a more automated one.  

"My goal was to create a simulation that could predict how cancer cells would respond to different therapies, allowing researchers to test hundreds of thousands of drug combinations virtually before validating the most promising ones in the lab," he says.  

His model integrates genomic and proteomic data, running large-scale biochemical simulations to predict whether drugs will work together or interfere with one another. After building the system, Alan validated it through laboratory experiments, demonstrating strong agreement between the model's predictions and real-world outcomes.  

From project to discovery 

As his project gained traction, Alan connected with multiple Mayo Clinic scientists, including John A. Copland III, Ph.D., whose lab supported the work to validate the performance of the virtual cell. Dr. Copland quickly recognized that Alan and his work stood out. 

"He's done more than most people have done through a postdoctoral fellowship," says Dr. Copland.  

 As results began to take shape, the potential of the virtual cell became clear. After presenting validation data and demonstrating the model's accuracy, Alan and his mentors began exploring additional opportunities to refine the model and evaluate its broader research applications. 

The project marked a turning point. What began as a student-led research idea had evolved into a sophisticated technology with promising real-world implications for cancer research and drug discovery. 

Today, the team continues to assess how the model could be further developed and applied to support future scientific investigation. 

SPARK is designed to immerse students in the realities of scientific work, which can include uncertainty, skepticism and high expectations. From the outset, Alan's mentors challenged him to prove that his idea was feasible. Rather than simplifying the project, they asked him to build the case for it himself. 

"They didn't hold my hand through it," he says. "They encouraged me to do all of the research myself and defend the project." 

Learning to think like a scientist 

SPARK students are treated as colleagues, not observers, and Alan embraced that role fully.  

Rather than directing each step, Dr. Copland and his colleagues provided access to lab space, tools and expertise, allowing Alan to execute his vision. He worked across departments, integrating AI with laboratory science to create a project that spanned multiple disciplines. 

That process required him to teach himself advanced concepts in biochemistry and computational modeling, then explain and defend those ideas in front of experienced researchers. It also meant learning how to communicate professionally, work with principal investigators and navigate the demands of a real research environment.  

By the end of his senior year, Alan had accomplished things few students at any level achieve: a groundbreaking innovation, second-place Grand Award at the International Science and Engineering Fair, valedictorian at Stanton College Preparatory School and acceptance to Harvard University, where he plans to study neuroscience and computer science. 

He intends to continue working with his Mayo Clinic mentors to explore future applications of the virtual cell while pursuing his goal of becoming a physician-scientist. His work remains grounded in the belief that technology should support clinicians and improve the efficiency of care. 

"AI allows us to test possibilities at a scale that would be impossible in a traditional laboratory. It helps us focus resources on the solutions most likely to help patients," he says.  

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayo Clinic researchers report encouraging early results from an experimental therapy targeting the genetic cause of a rare form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The study is published in Med. 

The single-patient study points to a broader possibility in precision medicine — using the genetic cause of a disease as a framework for testing highly targeted therapies, particularly for patients with rare conditions that have few treatment options. 

"I didn't think I would see this kind of research in my lifetime — identifying a disease-causing mutation, developing an experimental therapy and delivering it to a patient," says Björn Oskarsson, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and senior author of the study. "It speaks to the power of science and how far genetically targeted treatments have come." 

Targeting genetic ALS

That work builds on a long history of ALS genetics research at Mayo Clinic. In 2011, then-Mayo Clinic neurogeneticist Rosa Rademakers, Ph.D., and colleagues helped discover a mutation in the C9orf72 gene, now recognized as the most common inherited genetic cause of ALS. Dr. Rademakers received the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for her role in the discovery. Mayo researchers also developed early models that helped scientists investigate how the mutation contributes to ALS.

Since joining Mayo, Dr. Oskarsson has helped translate advances in ALS genetics into treatment research, contributing to the first approved treatment of genetic ALS. 

ALS progressively damages motor neurons, the nerve cells that control voluntary movement. In this study, genetic testing identified a mutation in CHCHD10, a gene associated with a rare form of ALS. The mutation appears to make the CHCHD10 protein harmful to nerve cells and is linked to abnormal changes in TDP-43, a protein closely associated with ALS. 

Mayo researchers collaborated with the nonprofit n-Lorem Foundation, which develops medicines based on antisense oligonucleotides, or ASOs, for people with ultrarare genetic diseases. ASOs are short synthetic strands of genetic material designed to bind to RNA and reduce production of a protein that contributes to disease. The foundation developed and evaluated more than 320 ASOs targeting CHCHD10 before selecting a lead candidate based on specificity and early safety testing. 

Early signs of treatment response

The study reports on the patient's first six doses of the experimental ASO, delivered through injections into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord. Treatment was well tolerated, and levels of neurofilament light — a blood biomarker of nerve-cell injury — declined by as much as 50%. Measures of breathing, cognition and physical function remained stable or showed modest improvement. 

"The quick response in neurofilament light was very encouraging," Dr. Oskarsson says. In a progressive disease such as ALS, he adds, stabilization can be a meaningful observation. 

The study also gives researchers a chance to look more closely at what is happening inside cells during the therapy. Using samples collected before and during the delivery of the ASOs, the team is studying changes in TDP-43 as well as mitochondrial function and gene activity. The goal is to understand how suppressing CHCHD10 may affect the disease process at a molecular level. 

The therapy remains experimental research and is not standard clinical care. Dr. Oskarsson estimates that about 50% of ALS is genetic, but he notes that only a subset of those cases are currently suited to an antisense approach. Some genetic forms may require other strategies, including gene editing. 

A framework for precision

The study is part of a broader effort through Mayo Clinic's N-of-1 Therapeutics Program to learn which elements of drug development, clinical evaluation and monitoring can be applied across individualized genetic therapies. 

"Cases like this are how we get started," says Margot Cousin, Ph.D., director of the N-of-1 Therapeutics Program and lead author of the study. "They help us build the scientific, clinical, translational and regulatory framework to do this rigorously and equitably. As we learn how to scale these approaches, the impact could reach far beyond ultrarare disease." 

Research in ultrarare diseases can help establish safety benchmarks, refine genetic-treatment platforms and clarify which disease mechanisms are most amenable to targeted therapy. Those lessons could ultimately inform new approaches to more common diseases. 

For a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding, review the study. 

### 

About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

Media contact: 

• Tia Ford, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu 

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A brain aneurysm, also called a cerebral aneurysm, is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain. Aneurysms generally fall into two categories: ruptured aneurysms, which are neurosurgical emergencies requiring immediate care, and unruptured aneurysms, which allow time to evaluate treatment and monitoring options. 

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"For unruptured aneurysms, we have the ability to plan and make a decision on the best treatment upfront in a nonemergent situation," says Dr. Chris Fox, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon.

But when a brain aneurysm ruptures, prompt medical attention is required. 

"Typically, when we see a patient with a ruptured aneurysm, we treat it as quickly as possible. That's usually within a matter of hours because there's a risk that the aneurysm can rerupture," he says.

Symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm can include severe head pain, nausea, vomiting, confusion and loss of consciousness.

"The classic presentation for a ruptured aneurysm is a patient has the worst headache of their life," Dr. Fox says.

Brain aneurysms are more common in women, and there may be a genetic component because aneurysms can run in families.

"But smoking and hypertension are two of the biggest risk factors for causing an aneurysm or having an aneurysm form," says Dr. Fox.

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Dr. Sikander Ailawadhi, a Mayo Clinic hematologist and oncologist, explains how new therapies and ongoing research are changing the outlook for people with the disease.

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Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in a type of blood cell called a plasma cell that builds up in bone marrow.

"When plasma cells multiply and crowd up the bone marrow, they can produce certain abnormal proteins," says Dr. Ailawadhi.

Damage caused by multiple myeloma can lead to anemia, weakened bones, frequent infections and kidney failure.

"Treatment for multiple myeloma has come a long way," Dr. Ailawadhi says. "While historically, there were traditional chemotherapies, now, the focus of treatment is targeted therapies, which are frequently engaging the body's own immune system to try and target the cancer in a way that is safer and has a more sustained effect on the disease."

This includes bone marrow transplantation, novel immunotherapy agents and chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy, also known as CAR-T cell therapy.

Dr. Ailawadhi says research is ongoing to better predict who may be at risk for multiple myeloma and to develop new treatments.

"We are able to see the field advancing rapidly and how major treatment advances are progressing to benefit patients," says Dr. Ailawadhi. "We expect that over the next five, seven, 10 years, we will see many, many more drugs, novel combinations and agents with newer mechanisms will be available to patients with this disease."

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In 2021, the surgeon general warned of an emerging national youth mental health crisis. Yet, even as awareness grows, 1 in 5 adolescents report a lack of mental health support.  

"Mental health drives quality of life. It's also associated with your risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease," says Dr. Brian Lynch, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "Mental health during adolescence predicts mental health as an adult, so it's a critical time to intervene."  

The challenges affecting Mayo Clinic communities reflect nationwide trends.  

Mental health was identified as a key priority in the most recent Community Health Needs Assessments for Mayo Clinic in Florida, Mayo Clinic in Rochester and many Mayo Clinic Health System sites.  

Among young people, girls are experiencing especially high rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts — nearly twice the rate of boys.  

"The stressors of peers, family expectations, social media — these seem to be affecting girls differently," says Dr. Lynch, the Community Health Needs Assessment physician director for Olmsted County, Minnesota, which includes Rochester. "It's a major concern."  

Through community grants and volunteer efforts, Mayo Clinic supports two organizations that help girls build confidence, coping skills and resilience. 

Pace Center for Girls in Florida 

When girls arrive at the Pace Center for Girls, they're often struggling academically, socially, emotionally — or all three. At each of the center's 16 Florida locations, the Reach Program provides no-cost counseling wherever girls feel most comfortable, whether at home, the library or a local park. 

"We believe all girls, regardless of their story, deserve safe, supportive spaces to heal and help them become strong, compassionate and successful women," says Erica Wortherly, the Reach Program director.  

Many of the girls, ages 11–17, have experienced life-altering challenges, such as sexual abuse, trafficking and homelessness. Some have a parent who is incarcerated or absent due to substance use. Nearly all wouldn't have access to mental health care without Pace.   

Given these complex needs, counseling alone isn't always enough. A 2026 Mayo Clinic Community Contributions grant has enabled Pace to offer psychiatric services — diagnosis, medication management, follow-up visits — at no cost to girls who need it.  

Psychiatric services are also available to participants in Pace's Day Program, which provides academic and mental health services in a classroom setting. 

With Mayo's assistance, "we're helping girls get to know themselves and receive the loving support they need to build relationships, develop healthy coping skills and look toward the future," says Wortherly. "Psychiatric services give that additional level of support."  

Another recent Mayo Clinic grant provided books for the Jacksonville, Florida, center's library, which opened earlier this year and will host a book club for girls in Pace programs.     

Girls on the Run in Minnesota 

Every fall and spring, hundreds of girls gather near Mayo Clinic in Rochester for the Girls on the Run 5K. But before they start running or walking, they need "happy hair." 

"The girls use all those fun hairsprays — pink, red, blue — to color their hair," says Amanda Neve, a pediatric nurse supervisor at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and coach for Heart & Sole, the Girls on the Run program for middle schoolers. "A lot of times, they make their running buddy do it too." 

The result? Dads with neon beards and moms with rainbow hair running alongside their girls.  

This nontimed event caps off the Girls on the Run season, which combines physical activity with social-emotional learning for girls in grades 3–8. In addition to the Rochester race, 5Ks are held in the Twin Cities and Duluth, Minnesota.  

This year, a Mayo Clinic Community Contributions grant provided scholarships for the after-school program, giving more girls the opportunity to learn about boundary-setting, relationships and emotional regulation while forming new friendships.    

"At first, they're often hesitant to talk," says Neve. "By the end of the season, they open up a lot more and have the skills to handle scenarios in real life."  

The race reinforces this confidence in a tangible way.  

Kristi Pogatchnik, the development director for the Girls on the Run Minnesota council, recalls one girl who exclaimed, "I'm a doer!" at the end of the event. When her dad asked why, she explained that she'd always thought of herself as a watcher. Now, she knew that wasn't true.  

This inner shift exemplifies the Girls on the Run mission.  

"When they cross that finish line, it's like, 'Wow, I just did that. What else can I do?'" says Pogatchnik. "It takes a whole community to support girls in this way. We're so grateful for all that Mayo does."  

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Physicians-in-training explore how emerging technologies, including humanoid robots, could help support healthcare teams and improve patient care 

In a simulation lab at Mayo Clinic in Florida, a humanoid robot carefully retrieves medical supplies, organizes equipment and helps prepare a cardiac catheterization laboratory. 

The robot moves slowly, and its capabilities are still being tested. But for the physicians gathered around it, the project represents something much larger than robotics. 

It’s one example of how Mayo Clinic residents are gaining hands-on experience evaluating how emerging technologies might support healthcare teams – all while keeping clinical judgment, decision-making and patient care firmly in human hands. Through Mayo Clinic's Internal Medicine Residency Innovation and Entrepreneurship Track, residents work alongside engineers, innovators and industry collaborators to evaluate new ideas and address real-world healthcare challenges. 

Developing new skills to solve healthcare challenges 

The resident-led project is exploring whether humanoid robots could someday assist with routine tasks in cardiovascular care settings. 

While the technology is still in the early stages of development, residents and faculty with Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education are exploring how robots might support healthcare professionals with tasks such as organizing supplies, retrieving equipment and helping prepare procedure rooms. The goal is not to replace clinical expertise, but to evaluate whether technology could assist with activities that occasionally require a member of the care team to step away from other responsibilities.  

For Guy Robinson, M.B.B.S., a resident in the innovation track, the project provided an opportunity to learn skills far outside traditional medical training. 

"I had zero coding knowledge," Dr. Robinson says. "I didn't understand the language at all." 

Working with the robot manufacturer, Mayo Clinic engineers and fellow residents, Dr. Robinson spent weeks learning programming fundamentals and experimenting with code. Early successes were modest. 

"At first, simply getting the robot to move its arm felt like a major accomplishment," he says. 

Within a month, however, the team had advanced to programming more complex actions with the help of artificial intelligence-assisted coding tools. 

Learning how innovation happens 

According to Abdallah El Sabbagh, M.D., director of the Internal Medicine Residency Innovation and Entrepreneurship Track, projects like this grow out of Mayo Clinic's broader culture of innovation. 

Residents participate in educational programs, mentorship opportunities and hands-on projects designed to help them identify challenges in healthcare and explore potential solutions. 

One of those experiences is Mayo Clinic's Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, which brings together physicians, innovators and other collaborators to help transform ideas into practical applications. 

"CIE helped change the way I think about innovation," Dr. Robinson says. "It emphasized that innovation is not simply having an idea but identifying a real clinical need and then taking practical steps toward implementation." 

Rena Hale, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, says helping learners connect unmet needs with practical solutions is a central focus. 

"Dr. Robinson brought that curiosity with him, and through the program developed the skills and confidence to act on it," Dr. Hale says. "Whether designing a new technology or exploring the potential of humanoid robotics, the underlying question remains the same: How can we make healthcare better for patients and the teams who care for them?" 

That mindset shaped the robotics project from the beginning. 

Rather than starting with the technology and searching for potential uses, the innovation team first engaged physicians and catheterization laboratory staff to better understand day-to-day workflows and identify areas where additional support might be valuable. Those conversations highlighted several routine tasks that can require team members to briefly step away during busy procedural workflows. 

That input helped define the problem the team was trying to address and identify practical use cases for early proof-of-concept testing. Residents, engineers and innovation leaders then worked together to develop and evaluate robotic workflows based on those frontline insights. 

A model for innovation training 

Mayo Clinic's approach recently received national attention. 

In an article for the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, physician leaders highlighted the growing need for innovation education during clinical training and pointed to Mayo Clinic's Internal Medicine Residency Program in Florida as an example of how residents can gain meaningful experience evaluating new technologies and developing solutions for healthcare challenges. 

The robotics project demonstrates what that type of training can look like in practice. 

Residents from multiple Mayo Clinic campuses have contributed to the effort. Dr. Robinson helped lead hands-on programming work in Florida, while Kiyan Heybati, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine graduate and current resident in Rochester, continued contributing remotely. Mayo Clinic engineers provided technical expertise, and innovation leaders helped connect residents with resources and mentorship. 

Together, residents, engineers, innovation leaders and frontline clinical staff contributed perspectives that helped move the project forward, combining technical expertise with firsthand understanding of the clinical environment. 

"Residents understand the clinical implications,” Dr. El Sabbagh says. “They can work closely with software engineers and bring ideas forward." 

The project also highlights how innovation opportunities can appeal to learners with a wide range of interests. Some residents enter training with backgrounds in technology or entrepreneurship. Others discover those interests during residency and gain the confidence to pursue them. 

Dr. El Sabbagh says the goal is not for every resident to become a programmer or entrepreneur. Instead, residents learn how to identify meaningful problems, collaborate across disciplines and evaluate how new ideas might be implemented safely and effectively in healthcare settings. 

For Dr. Robinson, that experience has expanded his understanding of what it means to train at Mayo Clinic. 

"I realized that we deliver the best care in the world because we also advance care the most," he says. "That's what makes this place special." 

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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I'm getting a new driver's license and am thinking about checking the "organ donor" box for the first time. I don’t know anyone who’s been an organ donor, and my family and friends haven’t talked about this. Can anyone donate? 

ANSWER: People of many ages, backgrounds and health histories may be eligible to become organ donors. More than 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ transplant, but the number of available donor organs falls far short of the need. Broadening the pool of registered organ donors gives more patients the opportunity to receive a lifesaving transplant before their disease progresses. 

The goal of transplantation is to save lives, improve quality of life and help patients with end-stage organ failure. While transplantation has become a well-established medical therapy over the past several decades, many people still see it as something that's out of reach for them or only available to a select group of patients. Increasing awareness about transplantation and organ donation can encourage more people to consider becoming donors. 

Many people mistakenly believe organs are matched based on race, population group or sex. But that's not the case. Transplant teams first evaluate medical factors such as the height and weight of the donor and recipient, as well as blood type and other clinical criteria. If organs are medically compatible, they can be successfully transplanted between people of different races, cultural backgrounds and sexes. 

The importance of a broad donor pool

A broad donor pool remains important because of people's immune systems. Every person has a special combination of antibodies, and transplant teams compare antibody profiles between donors and recipients to reduce the risk of organ rejection. Some antibody patterns are more common in certain populations than others. A larger donor pool offers a wider range of antibody profiles, increasing the likelihood of finding compatible matches for patients from different backgrounds. 

For some transplant candidates, antibodies significantly narrow the number of organs they can safely receive. If a patient has antibodies that would reject half of all potential donor organs, only the remaining half may be suitable for transplantation. That smaller pool of compatible organs often means a longer wait for a transplant. Expanding the donor pool increases the chances of finding a compatible organ sooner, which can be lifesaving for patients with advanced organ failure. 

Increasing the number of registered donors can help more patients find compatible organs sooner. Some communities may experience challenges that make it more difficult to receive transplant evaluations or advanced medical therapies.  

In addition, certain inherited conditions, such as cardiac amyloidosis, which can lead to organ failure, occur more frequently in some populations. Increasing organ donation awareness and participation across all communities helps ensure that more patients have the opportunity to benefit from transplantation. 

Common misconceptions

Education also plays an important role in addressing misconceptions about organ donation. One common myth is that only young or perfectly healthy people can become donors. However, the medical team evaluates every potential donor individually at the time of donation. While some organs have age-related considerations, many organs and tissues from older adults can still save or improve the lives of others. For that reason, people shouldn't assume they're too old or unhealthy to register as donors. 

Another misconception is that organ donation only benefits someone with a similar background. That's not the case. Donated organs are allocated to the most appropriate medical match based on established clinical criteria. A donor's race, cultural background or sex doesn't determine who receives an organ. The focus is always on providing the best match for a successful transplant. 

Increasing public awareness about transplantation and organ donation remains an important priority. Compared with other major health conditions, organ transplantation receives relatively little public attention. More education can help people understand the donation process, overcome common misconceptions and encourage conversations with family members about their wishes. 

As you know, registering as an organ donor is often as simple as checking "yes" when applying for or renewing a driver's license or signing up through an official organ donor registry. Be sure to discuss your decision with family members so they understand your wishes. 

Organ donation is a selfless act that has the power to transform lives. Every additional donor increases the chances of finding compatible matches, helping more patients receive the gift of a healthier future. 

Juan Carlos Leoni-Moreno M.D, FACC, FHFSA,Transplant Cardiology, Transplant Center, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an experimental drug with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) to target the "undruggable" PDZ-domain of GIPC1 protein that helps different types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer, to grow and resist treatment. In laboratory studies, the drug slowed tumor growth, improved survival and enhanced the effects of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine.

The findings, published in Cell Reports, also demonstrate how AI could help develop a small molecule inhibitor of a target protein that can be less toxic and speed the discovery of new cancer treatments.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat because it is often diagnosed after it has spread and is resistant to many current therapies. While survival rates remain low, advances in research are creating new opportunities to develop more effective treatments. This study represents one of those promising advances, offering a potential new strategy for targeting pancreatic cancer.

Using AI, in collaboration with Sravathi AI Technology for IP Sharing, a company based in Bangalore, India, the research team screened nearly 40,000 potential compounds before identifying one that blocks GIPC1. The experimental drug also showed early signs of changing the environment around tumors in ways that could improve future combination therapies. Additional studies are needed before it can be tested in people.

"Pancreatic cancer has remained exceptionally difficult to treat because tumors rapidly adapt and become resistant to many available therapies," says Debabrata (Dev) Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D., senior author of the study and a cancer researcher at Mayo Clinic in Florida. "Our study demonstrates that AI can help us identify entirely new therapeutic opportunities against targets that have historically been considered undruggable. While these findings are preclinical, they provide a strong foundation for the next phase of research."

The therapy remains experimental, and additional studies are needed to evaluate its safety and determine whether it can advance to clinical trials.

This research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, the Florida State Fund for the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program and the U.S. Department of Defense. For a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding, review the study.

###

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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For patients waiting for a kidney transplant, finding a compatible donor can take time. A paired kidney donation program can make transplantation possible, even when a donor isn't a direct match. That's what reunited two former high school classmates, now teachers, and gave one of them a new kidney and a new lease on life.

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"I kind of always knew I needed a new kidney," says Shannon Williams, a 50-year-old elementary school teacher in Leesburg, Florida.

Shannon Williams spent 15 years living with polycystic kidney disease. When dialysis became a reality, she knew she couldn't wait any longer for a transplant.

"I've got to find my own match, so I started looking," says Shannon.

Then, a social media post reached an old friend.

"I didn't know that she had been sick initially," says Kelly Harrington.

"I went to school with Kelly back in high school. We twirled together, and I was a senior; she was a freshman," says Shannon.

"Shannon and I both teach in the same school district," says Kelly.

"Kelly called me, and she said, 'I want to see if I'm a match for you.' She was a match, except for the antibodies," says Shannon.

Although Kelly couldn't donate directly to Shannon, a kidney paired exchange program offered another path.

"Someone may not be appropriate to donate to a particular recipient, but they are a fantastic donor to someone. And so the kidney goes into a national matching pool," says Dr. Shennen Mao, a Mayo Clinic transplant surgeon. "Once a match is found, the kidney is donated to an intended recipient, and our recipient gets a kidney in return."

"When I realized that I could still help Shannon, potentially save her life, give her a longer life, give her a healthier life, it was a bonus," says Kelly.

Then, in January 2026, there was a life-changing phone call.

"(Transplant coordinators) called and said they had a match," says Kelly. "I don't recall ever crying so hard in my life. It was overwhelming, absolutely overwhelming."

Shannon and Kelly drove two hours from their homes in Central Florida to Jacksonville, where the surgeries took place at Mayo Clinic. One of Kelly's kidneys was sent to someone else in need.

"Shannon received a living donor kidney back through the kidney paired exchange program," says Dr. Mao. "It worked right away on the operating room table."

Not long after surgery, Shannon and Kelly were reunited.

"They wanted me to walk right away," says Shannon. "Kelly and I were two doors down from each other, so we got to walk the halls together — just us and our walkers strolling down the hallway."

"That first walk, we felt like superstars," says Kelly. "All of the staff members were just helping us and supporting us."

"The ability and the impact that we can make on our patients is what drives me, both as a transplant surgeon and also as a scientist, to think about the solutions for the future, so that we can help more patients like Shannon," says Dr. Mao.

Before the end of the school year, Shannon and Kelly returned to their classrooms.

"To know that she literally saved my life, I will always be grateful to her," says Shannon. "I always tell her she's my angel."

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After serving others for 40 years through a legal career and now as a pastor and yoga teacher, Sandra Hedrick has led a life helping people. 

"I don't know what draws me to want to help people," she says. "I'm sure it's in my genes, but I really don't know."  

A self-described joyful yet introverted person, Sandra felt her busy life of mindfulness and gratitude stall three and a half years ago when an unexpected sinus issue developed. That fall, she and her husband were on a trip to see the changing leaves in North Carolina when she realized she could not breathe out of her right nostril.   

After her trip, Sandra visited internal medicine physicians about her sinus problem, who referred her to Dr. Osarenoma Olomu, an otolaryngologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, for further evaluation.  

After a biopsy, pathology results showed the mass was esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB), a rare cancer also known as olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB). According to the National Cancer Institute, ONB affects approximately 1 in every 2.5 million people.   
 
Surgery was scheduled immediately following MRI confirmation of the size and location of the mass. 
 
"ONB is a fairly challenging mass to deal with because of where it lies: right at the base of the nose between the nasal airway and the brain," explains Dr. Olomu.  
 
As one of the nation's highest-volume centers for advanced head and neck cancers, Mayo Clinic in Florida manages complex and rare cases with precise, minimally invasive procedures. 

For Sandra's surgery, Dr. Olomu partnered with Dr. Kaisorn Chaichana, a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic in Florida, to perform an endoscopic resection and reconstruction through the nose.  

"This advanced approach allowed us to precisely remove the tumor while protecting the rest of the brain," explains Dr. Chaichana. "We worked together to resect and reconstruct at the same time." 

After surgery, Sandra had a course of radiation and two rounds of chemotherapy to conclude her initial treatment. Despite the physical discomfort she felt during this time, Sandra looks back on her postoperative treatment with fondness for her care team.  

"I experienced kindness in every way," she says. "The staff were highly professional and kind. They were just a joy to be with, even under the circumstances." 

Mayo Clinic care teams solve complex medical challenges, like Sandra's, by taking an approach that puts the patient at the center and incorporates experts from multiple medical disciplines. 

"When you work with a high-level team, you can make rare things not so rare," says Dr. Olomu. "Our team works together all the time as part of a nationally recognized center, so for a disease like ONB, we know a care pathway." 

After treatment, Sandra returned to her vocation as a pastor with reaffirmed compassion and a keener listening ear. She also participates in online ONB forums and conferences, connecting with others who share this uncommon bond and encouraging one another.  

Sandra approaches her follow-up scans with confidence that she is supported by a kind, caring and knowledgeable team. She is happy to return to life as a wife, friend and grandmother.   

"Being alive is nice, of course," says Sandra. "But I am not on any mission to accomplish anything. I want to thrive in my ordinary life. And that's what Mayo Clinic gave me." 

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