Days after finishing her first semester of medical school, Amaris Elston awoke in a hospital room. She felt drained as her body started to adjust to its new reality.

Surgeons with the University of Alabama at Birmingham have achieved a significant milestone in liver transplantation. The institution recently performed its 3,000th adult liver transplant, solidifying its position as a leading center for liver transplantation in the region and nation.

The 2024 Transplant Games of America brought together thousands of participants and spectators July 5-10 in Birmingham, Ala., to create a truly unforgettable experience. UAB Medicine was honored to serve as the presenting medical partner for the Games, which began in 1990 to support the gift of life that organ donation represents and celebrate the individuals and families touched by transplantation.

Drew Ferguson, whose distinguished career in sports medicine at UAB and Children’s of Alabama spans over 40 years, understands the pursuit of excellence in health care. He has witnessed and been part of many care and safety advances for athletes, but he’s also benefitted personally from the progress of medical science. He’s received two kidney transplants at the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute that, in his words, have been a major part of his good fortune in life.

Amanda knew that Adam had Goodpasture syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that causes the body to make antibodies that attack the lungs and kidneys. “When I turned 18, Adam got really sick and was in and out of the hospital a lot,” Amanda recalled. “Ultimately, we were told that he needed a kidney transplant.”

Join UAB Medicine and the Transplant Life Foundation in welcoming thousands from the organ transplantation community to an exciting celebration of life this summer. The Transplant Games of America (TGA) are coming to Birmingham July 5-10, and UAB Medicine is the presenting medical partner of the Games. Also, the UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine team will be providing medical coverage for the athletes.

Ashley Nichols, 32, shares her journey from managing her type 1 diabetes to navigating her rare kidney-pancreas transplant with the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute care team.

Clifton Booth had long considered becoming a living kidney donor, but he wasn’t sure it was the right course of action for him. Then, in fall 2017, he encountered an acquaintance who had been a donor and encouraged Booth to consider it.

People who have received transplants understand that organ transplantation offers a second chance at life. UAB Medicine patients Lucy Emonina and her daughter, Ovuke’ McCoy, share that understanding in a deeper way. They both were born with a serious heart condition and later received heart transplants. Since then, mother and daughter have enjoyed active lives, sharing their stories in various ways and serving as ambassadors for heart health and organ donation awareness.

Tabitha Derryberry, 49, is no stranger to chronic medical conditions. She has lupus, an inflammatory disease in which the immune system attacks joints, organs, and the skin. And when she was 35, Derryberry learned that her kidneys were failing due to having Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the body’s cells.

Damion Jones, 31, was at work when he felt the pain in his stomach. He knew that something wasn’t right, but neither he nor his employer’s onsite clinic could pinpoint what was wrong. Next came shortness of breath. “I couldn’t walk up the hill at work without getting winded,” Jones said. “And I couldn’t get rid of my cough.” So began the odyssey that eventually brought Jones to UAB’s Comprehensive Transplant Institute (CTI).

DeAnthonis Kelly’s world started to unravel when he came down with pneumonia in 2019 and got worse when he caught COVID-19 in 2020. Even after he recovered, Kelly found himself out of breath when he walked from the parking lot to his workstation at a steel plant.