IU Health Transplant

05/28/2026

Patient’s husband: ‘She’s a walking miracle’
On a recent weekday Tamara Sanders and her husband Jeff made a familiar trip from Muncie, Ind. to IU Health University Hospital.
This trip wasn’t like many in the past. Tamara was not hospitalized for an extended time. She came in for a regular checkup and consultation with Dr. Muhammad S. Yaqub, who specializes in nephrology and kidney diseases.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, Tamara, 52, has been insulin dependent most of her life. A native of Delaware County, she worked at Sears for 18 years, leaving the year before the store closed its doors to the public.
It wasn’t until she was in her 30s that her diagnosis was changed to Type 2 diabetes. Over time, she experienced various health issues – Fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, and diastolic heart failure.
“When she was pregnant, we had the fire department at our house five times to bring her out of insulin shock,” said her husband. The couple has been married 33 years and has one daughter, 30.
As Tamara’s health declined, her kidneys began failing. In 2007 she received a kidney-pancreas transplant and was in the surgical care of Dr. Jonathan Fridell. “After her transplant she was insulin-free for three years. Then her body stopped absorbing the insulin, so she was back on the pump. Some days she would have a high sugar in the morning and drop low in the evening,” said Jeff.
They’ve worked through the health challenges together.
In 2020, when Tamara developed hernias she faced other challenges – developing pneumonia and eventually receiving a tracheostomy to help her breath. For a time, she was in ICU and on continuous dialysis. “We needed to give the new kidney time to function. We listened to the advice of our transplant doctors and here she is,” said Jeff.
“I can’t say enough about the fantastic care we have received. All the nurses, doctors, techs – everyone we meet – has been top notch,” said Jeff.
Now they return to Indianapolis every 30 days so Tamara can receive immunosuppression (anti-rejection) medication.
“It gives us a chance to see everyone and check in,” said Tamara. “People always ask how I’m doing and I say, ‘I’m blessed.’” Her husband adds: “She’s a walking miracle. If it wasn’t for organ donation she wouldn’t be here.”
-By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

05/19/2026

She drove herself across country, trusting the care she would receive at IU Health.

05/19/2026

This transplant nurse is known for going above and beyond to care for her patients.

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

04/24/2026

04/23/2026

Two-year-old Navy May thrives after receiving a lifesaving organ donation.

04/06/2026

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Jess Gerhardt traded a career in communications to deliver the best care to heart kids on the CVICU.

04/03/2026

Nurse recovers from pancreas transplant
Mooreland, Ind. resident Karen York recently visited the transplant clinic at IU Health for perioperative management infusion. In 1989, York was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and had been insulin dependent since the age of four.
On June 24, 2020, she received a pancreas transplant in the care of Dr. Jonathan Fridell.
Brad York accompanied his wife to her visit. The two met in nursing school and have been married for 14 years. Karen works in long-term acute care.
“I originally wanted to be a diabetes educator from the time I was little but as I got older, I changed paths,” said Karen. She said her care at IU Health has been good and other than some highs and lows with her blood pressure, she has been in good health.
The Yorks are the parents to four children ranging from age 11 to 20. They enjoy family movies, and spending time on their five acres with their pets.
“The biggest change since my transplant is that I can go to bed at night knowing that my blood sugar will stay normal and I’m going to wake up in the morning.”
-By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

04/02/2026

Mark Day, 60, has a list of things that he wants to do now that he has a second chance to live, thanks to a double lung transplant. Day received his new lungs in a 14-hour long surgery last Thursday (March 26). Wednesday afternoon as he recovers at IU Health Methodist Hospital he discussed the long journey that brought him to his transplant. He was diagnosed with stage four COPD and stage four Emphysema, which were discovered after a fall that collapsed his right lung in 2017. He has had varying degrees of complications with his lungs ever since then. Day smoked ci******es for more than four decades, but has not smoked now for more than six years. “Smoking was the biggest mistake of my life,” said Day. He feels remorse for his donor’s family and their loss, and is greatly thankful for the organ donation they made possible. “I feel so blessed. I’m getting a second chance that many people don’t get. My time was running out, and this was my last shot.” Day also emphasized his gratitude to Methodist Hospital and his care team. He described the team as “unbelievable.” As for that list of things he wants to do with his second chance to live, they include: going to Universal Studios with his son, taking his wife to the Virgin Islands, and enjoying a cup of coffee under the Eiffel Tower. April is National Donate Life Month and is observed to raise awareness about the need for organ donation. More information can be found at donatelife.net.