The Mayo Clinic experience and patient stories Play Video "No other hospital could help me…" – Elmo, cardiovascular & transplant patient Play Video Play Video Play Video Play Video Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced. See the stories of Mayo Clinic transplant patients. A living legacy: Donors who give hope and healingCharnel Golis-Tabag stands with sign showing why she donated a kidney When Charnel Golis-Tabag picked up her sister from the airport in her home state of Hawaii, she didn't expect to hear that her sister's kidney function had dropped below 11%. That moment changed everything. "She told me she was on the transplant list," Charnel recalls. "Two days later, I called Mayo Clinic to start the living kidney donation process." Charnel had seen too many… (VIDEO) 13-year-old Ava is home with a new heart, kidney following a 22-month hospital stay After more than 22 months at Mayo Clinic Children's, 13-year-old Ava Weitl went home to Iowa. She and her family were met with tears and cheers as dozens of members from her care team, who are now considered friends of the family, said goodbye and wished her well. This was a day Ava had been looking forward to after a long journey with heart failure, two lifesaving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapies, a heart transplant, kidney… (VIDEO) Eliminating the need for lifelong immunosuppressive medications for transplant patientsCindy Kendall donated a kidney and stems cells to her brother, Mark Welter ROCHESTER, Minn. — While immunosuppressive medications are critical to prevent rejection of transplant organs, they also come with plenty of downsides. They can cause harsh side effects, like headaches and tremors, and increase the risk for infection and cancer. But what if there was a way to prevent organ rejection without using these medications? That goal fuels the work of Mark Stegall, M.D.,… (VIDEO) Breathing easy thanks to the gift of life and new Mayo Clinic Lung Transplant Program in ArizonaCraig Scherer takes a deep breath and a bold step into his second chance at life Lung disease is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Some of those diseases, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, are among the top leading causes of death globally. COPD alone affects over 16 million people, like Arizona resident Craig Scherer. Craig got treatments to manage his condition, but there's no cure. The disease is progressive, meaning… A journey of resilience and hopeJoshua Abelson, a 63-year-old aviation sales and supply chain professional, has faced numerous health challenges with remarkable resilience. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Joshua now resides in Jacksonville, Florida, where he continues to inspire others with his story. Joshua's transplant journey began in 2009 when he first noticed symptoms that led to a diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD), specifically pulmonary fibrosis, after numerous X-rays and scans. This diagnosis marked the start of a long… Britiny's teamBritiny Schultz Britiny Schultz can't wait for fall. A huge football fan, she's looking forward to cheering on her favorite teams. It's something many fans take for granted — not Britiny. She's able to keep cheering, thanks to her doctors at Mayo Clinic and the incredible gift of life from not just one, but two organ donors. Britiny and her nieces and nephews The South Dakota native says she closely follows two teams: "The Bison… Heart transplant patient finding motivation through competition, music and the Mayo Clinic communityMark Forbess playing the piano in the Mayo atrium The fall It was Good Friday 2023. Mark Forbess was just leaving Mayo Clinic in Florida after his first appointment as a new patient at the heart failure program, when everything went black. "I found myself on the pavement in front of Mayo Clinic," says Mark. "I was emerging from unconsciousness. Everything was dark. I opened my eyes to see that my face was pressed onto… No Place Like Home: David Elder's Post-Transplant Care a 'Blessing'When David Elder’s back started to hurt in the fall of 2022, he thought his recurrent spasms had returned. But when medication didn’t help like before, his doctor sent him to the ER – and soon after, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a treatable but incurable form of cancer that had caused several painful breaks in his spine. “It just hit us out of nowhere,” he says of the diagnosis. “It was shocking.” Five… Celebrating transplant: A new life of song and serviceEditor's note: The following was written and submitted by David Bradshaw. He shares his journey from COVID, to transplant to gratitude for a second wind, including the part Mayo played in his journey. Imagine sailing through life for 68 years — the picture of good health — without major illness, disease or hospital visits. That was my life ... until COVID-19 hit me in January 2021. What seemed like a bad case of flu morphed… Celebrating a remarkable liver transplant journeyFor her one-year anniversary, Luana Q., a Mayo Clinic patient, shares her liver transplant story. Luana was the 4,000th patient to receive a liver transplant since the program began at Mayo Clinic in Florida in 1998. For her transplant, the team used normothermic regional perfusion to preserve the donated organ. This innovative approach uses a machine to pass blood through organs in a donor's body after the heart has irreversibly stopped beating. The procedure also… Share your experience Share your Mayo Clinic transplant experience with others using social media. Facebook YouTube Twitter Mayo Clinic Health Community Sharing Mayo Clinic Request an appointment ResearchCosts & insurance July 11, 2025 Share on: FacebookTwitter Transplant CenterDepartmenthomeSectionsRequest an appointmentOverviewTests & proceduresConditions treatedDoctorsDoctors by location and specialtyExpertise & rankingsLocations, travel & lodgingClinical trialsResearchPatient storiesCosts & insuranceNews from Mayo ClinicOutcomesReferralsContactus SectionsRequest an appointmentOverviewTests & proceduresConditions treatedDoctorsDoctors by location and specialtyExpertise & rankingsLocations, travel & lodgingClinical trialsResearchPatient storiesCosts & insuranceNews from Mayo ClinicOutcomesReferrals ORG-20199040 Medical Departments & Centers Transplant Center