News

The holiday season at INTEGRIS Health was filled with life-saving miracles, as the Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute and the INTEGRIS Health Heart Hospital performed 23 organ transplants during December alone, including 9 liver transplants, 10 kidney transplants, 2 pancreas transplants, 1 heart transplant and 1 lung transplant.

Among the recipients was Jill Castleberry, a 47-year-old wife and mother of three from Bixby, Oklahoma. Diagnosed with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition that severely impacted her quality of life, Jill received her transplant on Friday, Dec. 13.

Reflecting on her transplant journey, Jill shared, "Receiving that call was such a shock. I had just finished setting up my son’s football banquet and was back at work when the phone rang. I thought it was about an upcoming surgery, but instead, they told me I might have a liver match. It was overwhelming, I cried. It’s such a huge surgery, but I knew it was my chance."

Jill’s diagnosis was discovered in 2023 after a gallbladder attack sent her to the emergency room. "They told me they couldn’t remove my gallbladder because my liver was in bad shape. That was the first time I heard anything was wrong with my liver. From there, I got connected with INTEGRIS Health Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute, and I was officially put on the transplant list."

Her journey wasn’t easy, but Jill credits the INTEGRIS Health team for making her feel supported every step of the way. "Dr. Josiah Wagler was amazing, he did a great job on my transplant. The nurses were sweet, especially Blake in the ICU. Everyone cared about making sure I could get home as soon as possible because they knew how much I wanted to be with my family."

Jill’s transplant took place just before the holidays, and she was able to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve with her family. "Being home with my husband, kids and even our dogs felt like such a blessing. My kids joked with me, kept things light and helped me through it. Humor and support from family make all the difference."

She hopes her story inspires others who are waiting for transplants. "It’s okay to be scared, but trust that it will work out. The healthier you are going into surgery, the better your recovery will be. You just have to take the leap and trust the incredible staff—they really are amazing."

For more information about organ donation or the services provided by the INTEGRIS Health Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute, click here or call 405-949-3349.

For heart specific inquires, call 405-713-9911 and for lung call 405-949-3117.