Nurse airlifted back to US as she battles ‘life-threatening’ illness after falling sick on Japan honeymoon
A newlywed Texas nurse is in critical condition after becoming severely ill shortly after arriving in Japan for her honeymoon.
Sarah Danh, 27, returned to San Antonio on Tuesday night following an exhausting 20-hour medical journey from Japan, where she had been hospitalized with acute liver failure. The sudden medical emergency began just days after she and her husband, Luke Gradl, 28, traveled overseas to celebrate their marriage.
The couple, who had been together for seven years, were married on March 21 in Houston’s Spring Branch area. They departed for Tokyo on April 8, expecting to spend over two weeks exploring the country. However, shortly after checking into their hotel, Danh began feeling unwell. They chose to rest that first day, assuming it was minor and that they had plenty of time to recover during their trip.
By the following day, her condition deteriorated rapidly. Gradl rushed her to a hospital just before midnight, where she was admitted through the emergency department and transferred to intensive care the next day as her health worsened significantly. She experienced symptoms including jaundice, vomiting, and severe body pain.
According to Gradl, Danh had shown no signs of illness prior to leaving for Japan. Doctors there diagnosed her with acute liver failure, but her condition became more complex as she also developed kidney failure and increased pressure in her brain.
Danh, a labor and delivery nurse at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, now requires a liver transplant to survive. As she remains in critical condition, a transplant team in the United States is prepared to act when possible.
The ordeal has also placed a heavy emotional and financial strain on the couple. A fundraiser organized by family friend Danniella Ongmanchi has raised more than $175,000 to help cover mounting medical expenses. She described the situation as especially difficult given that the couple was far from home while facing such a serious and uncertain crisis.
During Danh’s hospitalization in Japan, Gradl leaned on support from family, including assistance coordinating with doctors. His mother, Sally, said that help was crucial as they navigated the situation from afar.
Footage from Japan showed Danh being carefully transferred onto a medical aircraft for the long journey back to the United States, which required multiple refueling stops. Despite the risks involved in transporting her in such critical condition, her family believed the move was necessary to give her the best chance at receiving a life-saving transplant.
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