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Yuli’s second chance: Life after intestinal transplant at Austin Health

Yuli Mori, Austin Health transplant recipient

24 July 2025

At just 19 years old, Yuli Mori has already faced more than most do in a lifetime. Born with intestinal pseudo-obstruction, Yuli spent much of her life unable to absorb or digest food. Even something as simple as brushing her teeth would make her ill. She was fed through a central line and often too unwell to go to school. 

“I had no energy. It took everything out of me,” she says. 

Yuli had been receiving care at the Royal Children’s Hospital before transitioning to Austin Health at 18. Just a week after transferring, she got the call: a donor had been found. 

Her intestinal transplant at Austin Health last year was long and complex, lasting 14 to 15 hours. She received a small bowel, large bowel, pancreas, colon and stomach. Yuli was placed in an induced coma immediately after surgery. 

“I woke up five hours later – it was unbearable. The first month was the worst of my life,” she shares. 

Despite the pain and recovery ahead, Yuli speaks highly of the team at Austin Health. 

“Doctor Graham Starkey, my surgeon – I knew him well. And Professor Adam Testro, he is amazing. He was on annual leave during one of my toughest moments but still FaceTimed the team. That meant everything.” 

Prof. Adam Testro, Director of Liver and Intestinal Transplant Medicine and Yuli’s physician, says that making the transition from long-term paediatric care to adult care is always a challenging time.

“Yuli had been under the care of the Royal Children's Hospital for her entire life and met our team for the first time on a Tuesday morning last July and just one week later she was called in for her transplant. The resilience she showed in putting her trust in a new medical team, as well as recovering from major life-changing surgery was phenomenal."

Incredibly, Yuli was discharged just five weeks after her transplant – far sooner than the expected six months. Today, her life is completely different. 

“I’m less tired, I have the energy to do things, even something as small as sitting and eating with my family instead of watching them eat makes a world of difference,” she says. 

Now cleared to return to work and exploring her next steps with endless possibilities ahead, Yuli shares this advice for anyone facing a transplant: “First learn how to cope and manage it. Don’t give up. Your body will tell you to – but once you get over that hard hurdle, it’s amazing.”