Patient Stories
May 23, 2019
‘I Have to Try:’ Mayo Employee Donates Kidney to Friend in Need
By In the Loop 
Chris Douglas learned via Twitter one evening that long-time acquaintance Chad Corey needed a kidney transplant. The next day, Chris began taking steps that would ultimately change Chad’s life.
Tags: Chris Douglas, Dr. Mikel Prieto, Dr. Patrick Dean, Kidney transplant, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center
May 23, 2019
ASU Wide Receiver Hopes to Go From the Football Field to the Medical Field
By In the Loop
An injury during Kyle Williams’ freshman year at Arizona State University turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the football standout, who discovered he also has a passion for medicine.
May 21, 2019
Former Mayo Patient ‘Breaking Bread’ From Coast to Coast In the Name of Helping Others
By In the Loop
Despite having a leg amputated as a result of an injury in Afghanistan, Army Special Forces member Jarrid Collins is determined to live life on his own terms, which means connecting with and serving others.
Tags: Amputation, Mayo Clinic in Arizona, surgery
May 16, 2019
Patient’s Workout Routine Inspires Those Around Her, Even in Hospital
By In the Loop
Penny Pfeiffer has found a way to keep her spirits up while she receives chemotherapy treatment at Mayo: impromptu workout sessions with staff and other patients in the hospital.
Tags: Chemotherapy, Ewing Sarcoma
May 9, 2019
Special Delivery: Florida EMT Helps Transport New Heart for Uncle
By In the Loop
Teddy Ross, an emergency medical technician, had just driven a heart by ambulance to Mayo Clinic when he realized that the heart was for his uncle, who was there awaiting a transplant.
Tags: Dr. Rohan Goswami, heart failure, heart transplant, Mayo Clinic in Florida
May 7, 2019
Patient Shares Story of Lung Cancer and His ‘Miracle for Now’
By In the Loop
A lung cancer diagnosis was unexpected for pastor (and nonsmoker) Kurt Jacobson. But so were the blessings: a medication he was eligible for due to a genetic mutation, and a chance to share his story.
Tags: Dr. Eyad Al-Hattab, Lung Cancer, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire
April 30, 2019
Stay Out of the Sun Run Organized by Patient Wanting to Give Back
By In the Loop
Tim Burriss and his wife Susan know how serious a melanoma diagnosis can be. So each year they organize a running event to raise funds for Mayo Clinic research aimed at defeating the disease.
Tags: Dr. Svetomir Markovic, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Mayo Melanoma Research Program, Melanoma, Melanoma Education Symposium
April 25, 2019
Walk of Remembrance Honors Organ Donors
By In the Loop
Caren Shank was her late husband Steve’s caregiver, supporter, and partner in raising awareness about causes he cared about, including organ donation. Even after his death, her dedication continues.
Tags: Ascending Aortic Aneurysm, Gift of Life Transplant House, Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, Kari Koens, LifeSource, Lung Transplant, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center, National Donate Life Month, Saint Marys Campus, Steve Shank, Tim Rasmusson
April 23, 2019
‘I Saw a Need, So I Helped Fill It:’ Volunteer Donates Kidney So Another May Live
By In the Loop
As a new retiree, Carroll Sharp took patients to and from kidney dialysis and saw how their condition affected them. So when he learned about being a living kidney donor, he stepped up in a big way.
Tags: diabetes, dialysis, Dr. Carrie Schinstock, Dr. Mikel Prieto, Gift of Life Transplant House, Living Donor Transplant, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center, Nephrology
April 9, 2019
Thirty Years Later, Liver Transplant Patient MaryEllen Lannon Still Going Strong
By In the Loop
Before her transplant 30 years ago, MaryEllen Lannon was cautiously optimistic: there were so many unknowns at the time, yet she knew her Mayo care team would do everything they could to save her life.
Tags: Dr. Nicholas LaRusso, Dr. Russell Wiesner, liver transplant, Mayo Clinic in Rochester