Transplant
May 5, 2022
A shared heart: Two families come together after tragedy, transplant
Around the 15th of every month, Christin Gigstad and Tina Haug think of each other. They pick up their phones and text. Even if they’ve already talked that week, they want to check in. It’s an important date for them, one that no one else can fully understand. Four years ago, Christin and Tina were […]
Tags: Amanda Hansen, Carson Gigstad, Christin Gigstad, Dr. John Stulak, heart failure, Heart transplant, Paul Gigstad, Tina Haug
April 21, 2022
Gabriel Ryan wasn’t supposed to live. Today, he is thriving
Eric and Micayla Ryan were experienced parents. They had three children already and thought this ultrasound would be as routine as the ones that had come before. They knew what to expect. Or so they thought. But instead of reassurance, this ultrasound revealed a problem: cysts on the kidneys of the Goodhue, Minnesota, couple’s fourth […]
Tags: Dr. Mikel Prieto, Eric Ryan, Gabriel Ryan, kidney transplant, Micayla Ryan, PKD, Polycystic kidney disease
April 11, 2022
A regenerative bridge to transplant
At 34, Steven Graham has already beaten the odds. Born with a heart defect, doctors predicted that he would not live past 30. But over the years and a series of pacemakers, his heart was giving out, and he needed a transplant. Complicating matters, Steven’s declining cardiac muscle was also damaging his lungs. His physicians […]
Tags: Dr. Atta Behfar, Dr. Sudhir Kushwaha, Heart and Lung Transplant, Heart transplant, Randi Graham, Regenerative Medicine, Steven Graham, Transposition of the great ateries
January 27, 2022
New heart, new start for Gregg Bohlig
Heart-pounding moments have been ever-present in Gregg Bohlig’s life. He is a gifted athlete and was a three-sport star in high school, earning state player of the year in football and second team all-state guard in basketball. And he was offered a contract with a major league baseball team. While in college, the Eau Claire, […]
Tags: Cardiology, Dr. Daniel Kincaid, Dr. Julie Rosenthal, Dr. Patrick DeValeria, Gregg Bholig, Heart transplant, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic in Arizona
December 1, 2021
Kidney transplant gets chef back to the kitchen
As a chef, Melvin Austin was used to working odd hours. Soda, sweet tea, and chocolate cake kept him awake during graveyard shifts, along with a 2 a.m. snack. Melvin wasn’t too worried until one day in 2002, when he arrived at work out of breath. “I thought I was overworked, and I needed rest. […]
Tags: dialysis, kidney transplant, MayoClinicFL, Melvin Austin, Transplant, Transplant Center
November 19, 2021
Pancreas transplant to cure diabetes
It was in 2017 when 48-year-old Lynn Guzik suffered a massive heart attack out of the blue. An insulin-dependent diabetic for more than 20 years, Lynn struggled to control her diabetes, but she hadn’t had any heart issues before. The damage to her heart was significant, however, and in 2017, Lynn underwent a heart transplant […]
Tags: diabetes, Dr. Tambi Jarmi, insulin, MayoClinicFL, pancreas transplant, Transplant
September 16, 2021
Diversity in bone marrow transplantation gives gift of life to mom of five
Family is everything to Felicia Curtis. The mom of five from Gainesville, Florida, knew she had to fight when she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2017, when she was 20 weeks pregnant with her youngest child. Over the next several months, Felicia underwent several rounds of chemotherapy to fight the cancer. Her son was […]
Tags: bone marrow transplant, Bone Marrow Transplant program, Cancer, diverse bone marrow donor, Dr. Ernesto Ayala, Felicia Curtis, MayoClinicFL, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, stem cell transplant
September 13, 2021
Mystery gift of liver for Mayo patient leads to chance emotional meeting
As they walked along the beach and collected stones on a warm, sunny day in Hawaii in 2019, Rob and Amanda Blasius of Phoenix reflected on the challenging medical odyssey that saved Rob’s life just a year earlier. That’s when he underwent a liver transplant at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona. To honor Rob’s precious gift of […]
Tags: Arizona, Liver Disease, Liver Transplant, Rob Blasius
September 2, 2021
“Divine design” gives multiple myeloma patient transplant, care at home
Ann Arneson describes her journey to Mayo Clinic as “divine design.” Ann — a retired teacher, a leader in her church and ministry, mother, grandmother, and line dance enthusiast — is Mayo Clinic’s first bone marrow transplant patient to recover at home thanks to the new advanced care at home program. “I know that people […]
Tags: advanced care at home, Ann Arneson, bone marrow transplant, Dr. Vivek Roy, MayoClinicFL
August 5, 2021
Liver transplant helps Bob Lemoine pay it forward
It was more than 20 years ago when former information technology manager, Bob Lemoine was diagnosed with hepatitis C and eventually, liver cancer. In September 2009, Bob was told that he had 3-6 months to live. After being referred to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, Bob got a new lease on life when on Jan. […]
Tags: Bob Lemoine, hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis, Liver Transplant, MayoClinicFL