In the Loop

News and views from across Mayo Clinic

Patient Stories

March 15, 2024

Patient records thank-you to care team from 4,000 feet above the Earth

By In the Loop

When Clint Chamales injured his ankle, it threatened to keep him from what he loves doing: skydiving. A Mayo Clinic team got him back in the air by repairing his ‘landing gear.’ On his first jump after surgery, he recorded a special thank-you to his surgeon and the team that cared for him.

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March 12, 2024

Sally Blackwell ‘no longer on the sidelines’ after life-changing surgery for rectal cancer

By In the Loop

Sally Blackwell was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer at age 33, shortly after her second child was born. She shares how the life-changing care she received inspired her to find work at Mayo Clinic. Sally Blackwell was pregnant with her second child when she began noticing symptoms she initially brushed off as nothing. She was […]

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March 1, 2024

POTS patient now working on neurology floor where she was diagnosed

By In the Loop

When Jenna Rose started experiencing frequent fainting episodes and other unusual symptoms, she put high school on pause and came to Mayo Clinic seeking answers. Nine years later, Jenna joined Mayo Clinic to help patients like her get on the path to healing.  

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February 12, 2024

Lung transplant patients connect at Mayo, take trip of a lifetime

By In the Loop

Two men with similar stories crossed paths in a Mayo Clinic support group and quickly formed a friendship. Today, they are proving to themselves and their families that physically demanding adventures are possible years after lung transplant. Phil Strom and Barry Venn are alike in many ways. They both live in Southeast Minnesota and share […]

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February 9, 2024

Hall family gives back to other families on preemie son’s first birthday

By In the Loop

On Jan. 17, 2023, Kari Hall gave birth to a 1-pound, 8-ounce baby boy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Today, Waylon is a thriving one-year-old, and the Halls — grateful for the care and support they received — celebrated his birthday by giving back. The Hall family could not think of a better way to […]

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February 6, 2024

Liver donor treasures autographs from Mayo staff collected in the ‘Little Book of Values’

By In the Loop

Stacia Carroll intended to donate a portion of her liver to an old family friend. When he passed suddenly, she decided to give the gift of life to a stranger instead. See what she said about her experience, her keepsake book with Mayo staff signatures, and what inspires her to share her story.   The […]

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February 5, 2024

Nurses collaborate to transfuse more than 100 units of blood, save patient’s life

By In the Loop

When Brent Berry became ill after a liver transplant, and his condition deteriorated, a team gathered to come to his aid. He would require a massive blood transfusion protocol that required backup from across the Rochester hospital practice.

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January 30, 2024

After flatlining, elite athlete Kari Turkowski, Ph.D., finds new purpose at Mayo Clinic

By In the Loop

An accomplished athlete, Kari Turkowski, Ph.D., first came to Mayo Clinic as a patient searching for answers. After receiving a diagnosis, she came back as a student. Today, she’s a staff member working to find answers like the ones she was searching for years ago. Kari Turkowski, Ph.D., was working as a tax accountant in […]

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January 22, 2024

Poetry helps patient-turned-physician make sense of her medical journey

By In the Loop

During medical school, Leena Danawala, M.D., began experiencing debilitating symptoms that led her to Mayo Clinic. Now a physician herself, she sometimes shares her own health journey with her patients. One way she makes sense of that journey is through poetry.

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January 17, 2024

Minnesota State Patrol helps make speedy delivery, escorting heart to Mayo Clinic

By In the Loop

In October, a heart became available in the Twin Cities for heart transplant patient John Neuenschwander at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. When his surgeon feared road construction might delay the organ’s arrival, he called the Minnesota State Patrol for help. As a young man, John Neuenschwander dreaded seeing flashing lights in his rearview mirror. Several […]

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