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For more than five years, Maricela Olivas had been living with worsening liver disease. By the time she came to Mayo Clinic in Arizona from her home in New Mexico, her condition had become life-threatening.
Still, she saw an opportunity.
"I see a door. I see a big door. I said, 'This is my opportunity,” she says.
Watch: A new door opens: How teamwork and a transplant gave a New Mexico mom a second chance.
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:36) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.
Maricela needed a liver transplant. She also developed hepatopulmonary syndrome, a rare complication of liver disease that affected her body's ability to get enough oxygen.
"I been suffering all these years, and my kids are suffering, my husband is suffering," she says.
Dr. Bashar Aqel, chair of the Transplant Center at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and a member of Maricela's care team, says her condition was dire when she arrived at Mayo Clinic.
"In her case, because of her liver disease, the blood was shunted away from her lungs, so she was not able to maintain the oxygenation of her body," he says.
Without timely treatment, Maricela's prognosis was poor.
"Most likely, we're talking about only a few months of survival with her liver, if her liver disease and her hepatopulmonary syndrome were not addressed in a timely manner," Dr. Aqel adds.
Maricela had been turned away by other transplant centers because of the complexity of her condition. At Mayo Clinic, that complexity brought specialists from across disciplines together to determine how they could help.
"We have gathered a team of experts across multiple disciplines — surgeons, medical providers, nurses, nutritionists, social workers, and many, many others — they work together in harmony," Dr. Aqel says.
An important part of Maricela's care was extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which is an advanced form of life support for patients.
"It's a support system that will help to complement the work of the heart and the lungs when somebody is extremely sick," Dr. Aqel explains.
Maricela received a liver transplant in April 2026.
Her recovery took time. She spent more than 100 days in the hospital before being discharged in early August. As she walked out of the hospital, staff lined the hallway, cheering and applauding.
"At the end of the line, I was jumping like crazy. I don't know how I get energy to jump, and I was happy," Maricela recalls.
Maricela came to the Mayo Clinic hoping for a chance and was determined to get better. Months later, she walked out of the hospital and headed toward a new chapter.
