Texas Nurse Evacuated from Japan Honeymoon After Acute Liver Failure

Sarah Danh and Luke Gradl were married on March 21 before Danh fell critically ill during their Japan honeymoon.

A Central Texas nurse has been medically evacuated from her Japan honeymoon after suffering sudden liver failure.

San Antonio labor and delivery nurse Sarah Danh, 27, was expected to undergo transplant surgery upon returning to Texas, according to Fox San Antonio. Danh, who recently married Luke Gradl, fell ill without warning just two days after the couple arrived in Japan.

“They were so excited to start celebrating their marriage together, looking forward to exploring a new country and making memories as newlyweds,” the creator of Danh’s GoFundMe, Danniella Ongmanchi, wrote in the donation description. “Being away from home during such a vulnerable time has been incredibly difficult for Sarah and her husband, Luke.”

A report from People says Danh suffered a “life-threatening health decline” on April 9, with several immediate symptoms including jaundice, vomiting, body aches and “extreme” hepatic encephalopathy. After being hospitalized, Danh’s condition worsened, according to her husband — her kidneys are failing, and she’s battling increasing intracranial pressure.

Danh’s family told the magazine she had been placed on an emergency medical evacuation flight set to land in San Antonio Tuesday evening. The newlywed had been unable to be evacuated sooner due to her previously unstable condition.

“The flight is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, and will require multiple stops along the way back to San Antonio,” Gradl told People. He explained that “the flight is through AirMed, which is being provided through HCA and is affiliated with her work, Methodist Hospital.”

As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe for Danh had collected more than $177,000 of its $180,000 goal. The donations will go toward Danh’s hospital bills, her family’s flights and “any other urgent expenses.”

“In Japan, hospital bills must be paid in full or treatments will be stopped, which adds another layer of stress to an already overwhelming situation,” Ongmanchi explained in the fundraiser. “Every contribution will help ease the financial burden and give Sarah the best chance to heal and return home safely.”

Gradl and Danh’s mother, Le Le, expressed gratitude to AirMed and Danh’s employer — Methodist Hospital Stone Oak — for working with HCA Healthcare to organize Danh’s flight home.

Gradl and Le shared the following statement 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. 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.”_