A Passion for Transplant Patients: Meet @rosemarya

Member Spotlights feature interviews with fellow Connect members. Learn more about members you’ve connected with and some you haven’t met yet. Nominate a member you think should share the spotlight.

JOHN: What brought you to Mayo Clinic Connect?

@rosemarya: I received a combined liver and kidney transplant at Mayo Clinic Hospital —  Rochester in 2009. After I returned home, I joined a local support group of transplant recipients. But, what I really wanted was to meet someone who transplanted due to the same disease that I had. I discovered Mayo Clinic Connect during an online search.  

To my surprise, I found many people who were asking questions about many of the things that I had just experienced. I felt drawn to share my experience with them and to answer their questions.

JOHN: What motivates you to take part in the community?

@rosemarya: I enjoy welcoming new members and hearing of their own amazing health journeys.    

JOHN: What about Connect makes you feel comfortable to share and to be open with the community?   

@rosemarya: Mayo Clinic Connect is a place where people can talk openly and ask questions about a wide range of health-related issues. It is a place where people are treated with respect and where everyone is welcome to participate.  

JOHN: What groups do you participate in?  

@rosemarya: The Transplant Group is my primary interest, but I am likely to show up almost anywhere.  

JOHN: Who has been a special connection for you on Connect?  

@rosemarya: I feel a special connection to anyone involved in the transplant process. Patients who are on the transplant list or who have received an organ transplant, as well as their caregivers, share the experience of intense physical, emotional and spiritual struggles. We grieve with the families of deceased donors. We welcome those who are interested in living organ donation and we celebrate their generosity and courage.   

JOHN: What surprised you the most about Connect?

@rosemarya: I am in awe of the kindness, understanding and encouragement our members share with each other. For example, in the Transplant Group discussion named "Living Life After your Transplant,” members shared their own ideas with each other. The transplant staff used the ideas of the participating members to create a newsfeed post titled "Top Transplant Hacks: Patients Share Their Best Tips and Tricks" and published on the Transplant Page.

I also am surprised by how many people return to express gratitude for the answers and the support that they received by joining Connect.  A special surprise is when someone in the Transplant Group announces that they received their transplant!

JOHN: What energizes you, or how do you find balance in your life?  

@rosemarya: I will share my two big ones: My husband and I enjoy taking hikes, especially in the national parks, and I also love to attend a live classical performance by a symphony orchestra.

JOHN: Tell us about your favorite pastime or activity.   

@rosemarya: I like to sew, crochet, knit, embroider and do any kind of needlework. I also coordinate a prayer shawl ministry at my church. Since my transplant, I have resumed playing my violin after years of neglect. It is a work in progress.

JOHN: What do you appreciate the most in your friends?  

@rosemarya: My girlfriends love to go out to eat. There is always good conversation and laughter.

JOHN: What food can you simply not resist?

@rosemarya: Ice cream — specially strawberry ice cream  

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