First published 2024-11-11 23:28:34
A Metro man is on the road to recovery after undergoing a rare triple organ transplant at the Mayo Clinic. Mike Lovin, who received a kidney, heart, and lungs from a single donor last month, is making impressive strides in his recovery. “Today I just walked a mile for the first time on a treadmill,” Lovin shared, adding that while the exercise was tiring, “it felt great.” His therapy team is optimistic about his progress, noting that he is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation.
Dr. Maurizio Villavicencio, the lead surgeon on Lovin’s transplant, described the procedure as a challenging but successful operation. “It was a very difficult case,” he said, highlighting the rarity of triple transplants, with Mayo Clinic performing only its 15th such procedure. “This opens a huge door for them to prolong their life and have a good quality of life,” Dr. Villavicencio noted. Lovin himself is already feeling a significant improvement, saying, “I already feel better than I did a month and a half ago.”
Lovin and his family are eager to return home to the metro area, where he can be with his wife and two daughters, one of whom recently earned her driver’s license. Lovin hopes to make it back by Christmas, but he is optimistic about his recovery timeline. The Lovins have expressed their gratitude for the support they’ve received from the Mayo Clinic, the Gift of Life House, and the local community, and they’ve set up a GoFundMe to help with ongoing medical expenses. “It’s just amazing how the human body can adjust,” Lovin said, reflecting on his remarkable progress.
