Patient Stories
April 14, 2022
Bell ringing honors patient who passed away before getting her turn
By In the Loop 
Before Amie Christiansen passed away from cancer, she told her daughter, Montana, that there was one thing she wished she’d been able to do: Ring a bell signifying the end of her treatment. Amie’s care team at Mayo Clinic found a way to make that wish come true. Montana Christiansen stepped forward to ring the […]
Tags: Bone Marrow Transplant, Cecilia Merrigan, Dr. Patrick Johnston, Dr. Thomas Habermann, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
March 15, 2022
After 543 days, micro-preemie goes home thanks to Mayo Clinic team that ‘refused to give up’
By In the Loop
Annley Wentz came into the world very early — and very small. She weighed less than two pounds when she was born and faced a host of health issues related to prematurity. But thanks to her Mayo Clinic care team, Annley is finally where she belongs: at home with her parents. On Annley Wentz’s first […]
Tags: Dr. Richard Boesch, Mayo Clinic Air Ambulance, Mayo Clinic Children's Center
February 24, 2022
Ten years after surviving a heart attack at the DAHLC, Andy Mc Monigle APREC8s every day
By In the Loop
Ten years ago, Andy Mc Monigle had a heart attack that could have ended his life. But thanks to the quick response of several Mayo residents, and some help from technology (access to an old ECG on an iPad), Andy is here to reflect on that day — and the decade that has followed. “Does […]
Tags: Andy Mc Monigle, Dr. Christopher DeSimone, Dr. Daniel DeSimone
February 17, 2022
Gabriel Ryan wasn’t supposed to live. Today, he is thriving
By In the Loop
Gabriel Ryan wasn’t supposed to live. The Goodhue, Minnesota, toddler was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease before birth. The disorder is usually fatal. But young Gabriel has defied the odds. 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 […]
Tags: Dr. Mikel Prieto, Kidney transplant, maternal fetal medicine, Mayo Clinic Children's Center, Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital, NICU
February 9, 2022
Brain cancer diagnosis inspires patient’s dissertation dedication to caregivers
By In the Loop
In 2017, Rachel Krueger received a brain cancer diagnosis. Later that year, she began working toward her doctorate. She’d end up dedicating her research – and her dissertation itself – to those who helped make her studies possible. Five years ago, Rachel Krueger was wheeled into an operating room at Mayo Clinic to have a […]
Tags: Alison Sadowy, Dr. Fredric Meyer
January 25, 2022
After a canceled flight, nurse takes the wheel and drives patients to Mayo Clinic
By In the Loop
When a group of patients heading to Mayo Clinic got stuck at the airport in Minneapolis, they hitched a ride to Rochester with a new friend — a Mayo Clinic nurse who had waited with them through multiple weather delays. Oh, the weather outside was frightful in Minnesota on Dec. 26. That was bad news […]
Tags: Judi Mills
January 19, 2022
Dr. Brian Hardaway is a transplant trifecta: Transplant physician, donor, recipient
By In the Loop
Transplant medicine got a hold on Brian Hardaway, M.D., early, through his own experience and observing others who received that gift. As a physician, organ donor and a recipient, he knows the effect transplants can have on patients and everyone around them. The young doctor watched with fascination as the transplant cardiologists he was shadowing […]
Tags: Dr. Brian Hardaway, Kidney transplant, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center
January 14, 2022
A shared heart: Two families come together after tragedy, transplant
By In the Loop
Before July 2017, Carson Gigstad’s family had no connection to Amanda Hansen’s family. Today, the families share a bond that grew out of tragedy and turned into hope. 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 […]
Tags: Dr. John Stulak, heart transplant, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center
January 10, 2022
Kidney donation ‘a gift from one grandparent to another’
By In the Loop
In the 1990s, Bethany Krom and Karen Nick both worked at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. When Bethany moved to Minnesota, the two kept in touch via Facebook. Twenty years later, that Facebook friendship would lead Bethany to give a lifechanging gift to Karen’s husband, John. Bethany Krom had never met John Nick. But she knew […]
January 7, 2022
How an 11-year-old’s Sharpie drawing made a Mayo nurse’s day
By In the Loop
Excited to complete his COVID-19 vaccination series, 11-year-old Bennett McConnell decided to surprise his nurse with a special message when he rolled up his sleeve. The unexpected thank-you was a highlight for the team at the vaccination clinic. The COVID-19 pandemic became real for Bennett McConnell during a family trip to Walt Disney World in […]
Tags: Katie Lumley, Lara Beacom, Mark McConnell