A severe stomachache 15 months ago resulted in 28-year-old Sara Ultz becoming the recipient of a six-organ transplant two weeks ago in Miami.

Sara, daughter city Planning Department employee Gail Ultz and Code Enforcement Officer Ron Ultz, both of Athens, is in the University of Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital after getting a stomach, pancreas, spleen, liver, and small and large intestines in 13-hour transplant surgery.

Gail Ultz said the importance of becoming an organ donor was suddenly brought home to her, not only because a single donor gave her daughter a second chance at life but because Ultz herself is now in need of a kidney transplant.

Ultz said she was in the hospital in August with “kidney problems.” An Athens doctor called her two weeks ago, shortly after she arrived in Miami with Sara for her “multi-visceral” transplant, and told her that her “blood work was all messed up.”

Ultz said doctors told her to see a doctor immediately in Miami for more blood tests, but because of her daughter’s surgery, Ultz put off seeing a doctor until the following Monday. By that time, Ultz had gone into kidney failure and remained a week and a half in the same hospital where Sara was recovering. Ultz now must have kidney dialysis three times a week and will probably have to have a kidney transplant.

Gail Ultz is no stranger to adversity. Nearly three years ago her brother, Athens Police Sgt. Larry Russell, was gunned down with fellow officer Tony Mims in an ambush slaying by a mentally disturbed man.

Ultz said she has always carried an organ donor card and thought she would give up an organ if necessary to one of her two daughters. However, when Sara, who was living and studying for her masters in business administration in Birmingham, called her in August 2005 and told her she had a stomachache, Ultz told her to take an aspirin. The pain worsened.

“A friend took her to Brookwood Hospital emergency room and I met them down there at 10 p.m.,” said Ultz. “She had a bowel obstruction and the small intestine had looped around itself. She had emergency surgery the next day at 6 a.m. and surgery every day for three days. She wound up with 18 inches of small intestine.”

Ultz said doctors removed half of the small intestine in the first surgery, but the remaining intestine continued to die, so on the second day, doctors removed half of what was left, and the third day removed all but 18 inches.”

Sara was in the hospital for 6 1/2 weeks the first time and then came back to Athens to live with her mother. Ultz cared for her daughter, administering painful blood-thinning injections and intravenous feedings. She also received home health care visits.

She was in and out of the hospital several more times and when doctors attempted to reattach the remaining 18 inches of small intestines they discovered that portion had also died.

“It was a tough time for her,” said Ultz. “She was studying for her MBA and was just four classes away from finishing. Her life was put on hold—almost everyone’s life has been put on hold while this has been going on…You just don’t think all of this could happen in such a short time. She’s just 28 years old, had her own apartment, her own car, then ‘boom.’”

Ultz said Sara’s recovery is going as well as could be expected. The University of Miami is one of just seven major medical centers in the nation that performs multi-visceral transplants.

“She chose to come here,” said Ultz. “She could have chosen Pittsburgh or Nebraska, but she said, ‘If I have to be there a long time, I want it to be some place that is warm.’”

Ultz said Sara, whose weight had dropped to 122 pounds, has retained 45 pounds in fluid since the surgery. Doctors say that is a normal condition after transplant surgery. They draw off the fluid and give her diuretics and examine the transplanted organs through scopes every other day.

Ultz said doctors say the transplanted organs are functioning normally. However, Sara will have to remain on anti-rejection drugs throughout her life, costing some $40,000 to $50,000 a year.

“That is something I’ll also have to face if I have a transplant,” said Ultz.

Through it all, Ultz said she could not have endured what she has without the support of friends and co-workers in the city of Athens Public Works Department.

Now that she has been released from the hospital, Ultz is able to stay in the hospital’s Transplant House for Patients and Caregivers for $50 a night. She can remain there for the weeks or months that Sara remains on the special transplant floor of the hospital.

City of Athens employees are planning a benefit chicken stew and bake sale Nov. 13 at the Public Works Building on Elm Street to help Ultz and her family with expenses. Employees are pre-selling tickets.  Sanitation Department Manager Earl Glaze will be making the stew and it will be sold by the gallon for $17. Bring your own container.

“If you can help us out by buying stew, making a dessert or if you would like to give a love offering it would be very much appreciated,” said Vicki Dowd, secretary to Mayor Dan Williams. “If you would like to buy some stew you can call me at work at 233-8730”

You can also contact these people: Leigh Ann Romine, 233-8715; Tawyna Kendrick, 233-8737; James Rich, 233-8725; Barry Davis, 233-8715; Debby Smith, 233-8700 or Earl Glaze, 233-8747.