Donate Life Indiana: Nurse Saved By Urgent Liver Transplant After COVID Now Trains To Care For Patients At Riley

Central Indiana Nurse Survives COVID-Related liver Failure After Rapid Transplant, Now Trains At Riley

USA: Jessica, a Central Indiana nurse, credits a life-saving liver transplant for restoring her life after severe COVID-19 complications in 2020. The young, previously healthy patient developed sepsis and pneumonia that quickly triggered multi-organ failure and led to urgent placement on a transplant list.

She was hospitalized and listed at a university transplant center; within two days of listing she received a donated liver. The rapid transplant interrupted a downward spiral that clinicians say can follow critical infections, and it hinged on timely organ procurement and the willingness of a donor family to authorize donation.

Now a registered nurse at Riley, Jessica has marked her five-year transplant anniversary and enrolled in transplant training to care for some of the smallest patients. Her recovery pushed her to pursue nursing and to live with renewed purpose, honoring the family who lost a loved one by committing to improve others’ lives through clinical care and advocacy for transplantation.

April is Donate Life Month, a reminder that a heart symbol on a driver’s license can signify a decision to donate. Jessica and transplant teams urge more open conversations about donation and the procurement process, saying greater awareness can expand access to life-saving transplants. For more information, patients and families can consult Donate Life Indiana.

Video originally published on 2026-05-04 11:18:05