English teacher went from college athlete to transplant patient

By TJ Banes, Senior Journalist IU Health, tfender1@iuhealth.org

It was nearing midnight on a Sunday when Brian Ginzer got the call. It was time for him to leave his home in South Bend and head to Indianapolis for a liver transplant.

It was the second time he’d received such a call. The first time, it was determined the organ was not viable. Time was of the essence. As Ginzer and his wife Aubrey made the trip, he said he was anxious and overwhelmed with excitement.

“This time things were moving differently. I felt there was hope,” said Ginzer, 53. His journey to transplant was longer than the three-hour car ride.

Ginzer grew up in Jackson, Mich. and moved to South Bend to play college basketball at what was formerly Tri State University (now Trine University). He went on to teach English and coach basketball at the middle school, high school and college levels.

His teams won their share of basketball games, but Ginzer’s real victory was coaching the 8^th grade spelling bee to the national championship.

For a time, he taught at the University of Notre Dame and spent a lot of time walking the campus. It wasn’t unusual for him to bike 10 miles.

Then things changed.

At first, he was diagnosed with Factor V Leiden, a genetic disorder that increases the risk of abnormal blood clots. Eight years ago, he suffered a stroke believed to be caused by a blood clot in his brain stem.

“Everything stopped. I was getting ready to teach and I walked toward the dresser and the next thing I knew I was out,” said Ginzer. Then he began having stomach aches and went in for tests. He learned that he had a missing vertebra.

More tests followed and Ginzer was diagnosed with hereditary hemochromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes the body to absorb too much iron from food, leading to iron overload. The disorder can cause heart problems, diabetes, and liver disease. Ginzer went through three back surgeries.

“The medicines I was on were causing a battle inside my body,” he said. He eventually was on disability and unable to pursue his passion: Teaching.

“I was swollen and gaining weight. Even when I was active running I went from 178 to 225,” said Ginzer. “I walked into school one day wearing sandals because my feet were so swollen.”

As he learned more about the disease, Ginzer discovered that it was inherited from both of his parents and both he and his brother are carriers. With his declining health, he began to research hospitals with transplant programs.

“A year before I received my transplant, one doctor at another hospital told me I had about two years to live if I didn’t get it fixed,” said Ginzer. He is the father to two adult sons and grandfather to two. He wanted to be healthy again. While he was listed for transplant, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was treated at another hospital and on her February birthday, doctors told her the cancer was “asleep” (in remission).

At IU Health, Brian Ginzer was in the care of Dr. Lauren Nephew, his hepatologist, Dr. Plamen Mihaylov, his transplant surgeon, and Trish Harris, his transplant coordinator. His liver transplant occurred August 26 and into the night on Aug 27, 2024.

“IU Health was first rate,” said Ginzer. He learned about Dr. Nephew from his doctor who was her classmate. “The moment I met her, I wanted to look into her eyes because my life was in her care,” said Ginzer. “I knew then that I was in the right place. It was personal and I knew that this was going to be positive.”

Using the National Spelling Bee Championship as a model, Ginzer said: “From coaching, to surgery, to rehab to my wife’s recovery, I’ve always said, ‘we’re going to win the battle.’ That’s how you get through something like this. You believe you’re going to win.”