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Woman Falls Critically Ill on Honeymoon, Airlifted Back to U.S.

A 27-year-old woman fell critically ill during her honeymoon in Japan and was later diagnosed with acute liver failure, now awaiting a transplant.

By Melvin Mathew
27-year-old Sarah Danh’s life was turned upside down as she suffered a sudden “life-threatening health decline”, but exactly what happened to Sarah Danh is more complicated than it seems. Danh and her husband, Luke Gradl, had recently gotten married and were on a honeymoon in Japan. Everything went well on the first day of their trip. However, on the second day, Danh’s health rapidly declined. “When we arrived at the hotel the afternoon of April 8, she was not feeling well,” Luke Gradl revealed in a conversation with the NY Times. “So, we decided to rest that day because we had 16 total days in Japan, so we could afford to rest half a day. April 9, things started to go bad very quickly, so I immediately took her to the hospital just before midnight, where we were admitted to the emergency room, and the next day, moved to the ICU because of a life-threatening health decline.” Danh’s body started showing various symptoms such as jaundice, vomiting, fever and body aches. The doctors later found out that Danh had been suffering from acute liver failure, but Gradl later revealed that his wife was also suffering from “kidney failure and increased intracranial pressure.” As of writing, it’s unclear what caused Sarah Danh’s acute liver failure. However, according to Mayo Clinic, acute liver failure is caused by “hepatitis virus or drugs, such as acetaminophen.” Symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting and tremors, most of which Danh experienced. If left untreated, it can be life-threatening and may lead to irreversible chronic liver failure. According to People, Sarah Danh was airlifted on an emergency medical evacuation flight with her husband, Luke Gradl, 28, to San Antonio, Texas. Danh’s mother also left for the U.S. the same day to offer “moral support.” The newlywed bride had been working as a nurse for Methodist Hospital Stone Oak in San Antonio. The flight back to the USA was made possible by the same hospital, with help from HCA Healthcare. Sarah Danh’s husband and mother thanked the hospital in a conversation with People. "Thank you to HCA Healthcare and Methodist Hospital for providing the medical flight home. That generosity means more to us than we can put into words. A huge thank you to the medical team in Japan — the doctors and nurses who worked nonstop to keep Sarah stable up until evacuation," they said in a statement. "We'll never forget your care and dedication. To the AirMed team, thank you for moving so quickly and making everything come together when it mattered most. You made a real difference for us. We're also so thankful to the team in San Antonio for being ready and waiting for Sarah. Knowing she was going into such good hands brought us peace during a very uncertain time." Sarah Danh now requires a liver transplant and the couple’s family friend has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover expenses. As of writing, the couple has raised over $178,874 to help with medical expenses. Supporters online have contributed to Sarah Danh’s cause and raise enough money through her GoFundMe page to support her recovery.

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