TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa General Hospital was recently ranked No. 1 in the nation for performing more organ transplants than any other hospital.
For every surgery that adds up to set a record, there is a patient behind the numbers with a personal story to tell.
Sarah Housman has quite a story to tell. The 37-year-old has been given a second and third chance at life because of organ transplantation.
“I am feeling immensely grateful. It’s been a year and a half, and it’s been a challenging recovery,” said Housman, who said health challenges started early. She was born with cystic fibrosis.
“With that condition, you’re born with lung issues from the start and with chronic infections over time, it leads to permanent lung damage,” she said.
Her first double lung transplant was in 2019, and the second surgery was in 2023.
“It happened to me when I had COVID that we noticed a sharp decline,” Housman said of the second transplant.
Post-surgery, she says she is making progress. Spectrum Bay News 9 caught up with her where she works out at least twice a week with personal trainers at Made Possible Personal Training.
The two-time transplant recipient says she now trains with a new purpose.
To observe Housman, you can tell she’s working hard. She says competing in the World Transplant Games in Germany in August will also help raise awareness about organ donation and show the success of transplant surgery.
"So I decided to compete in swimming, and so that’s what I’ve been working on,” said Housman said.
It’s a success her surgeon, Dr. Gundars Katlaps, also celebrates.
“I’m really, really happy for Sarah, I’m really proud how she has done, how she has recovered,” said Dr. Katlaps. The Surgical Director of Lung Transplantation at TGH says a redo transplant is rare.
“When we go back a second time, there’s no easy way to do it,” Katlaps said.
But the team at TGH Transplant Institute did. In-fact, Tampa General Hospital’s transplant numbers have climbed significantly since 2020, when they performed 611 transplants. In 2024, a record-breaking 889 transplants were performed.
Housman can relate to those hundreds of other recipients as she shares photos from her recovery journey.
“This was the first time after my first transplant, standing up and re-learning how to walk,” she said. “It’s the first of many good steps to come.”
Housman says she continues taking those steps in a variety of ways. As she trains for competition, the former mental health counselor also mentors others going through the organ transplant process. And with every training session in the gym and pool, she is grateful as she gets ready to go for the gold.
“I think it will feel amazing, yeah it will be something to celebrate,” she said.
The athlete adds she is still trying to raise funds for the competition and hopes to secure a sponsor.
Tampa General Hospital reports it performed the following procedures in 2024:
* 500 kidneys
* 110 living donor kidneys
* 279 livers
* Five living donor livers
* 51 hearts
* 42 lungs
* Three heart and lung
* 14 kidney and pancreas