Living Transplant: Patient Stories | Organ Donation | Medical Experts

Host Candice Coghlan is joined by guest hosts Joanne Kearney and Brendan Cahill, co-founders of the Centre for Living Organ Donation to tell their story of how Brendan became a kidney donor to Joanne through the Paired Exchange Program and how they used math to support their decisions and later pivoted to channel their passion and experience to help others.

Later they are joined by Dr. Atul Humar, Director of the Ajmera Transplant Centre as they discuss innovations in transplant, policy changes, what changes are coming to transplant and how to end the waitlist.

For more information about the Centre for Living Organ Donation visit www.livingorgandonation.ca

For more information about the Great Actions Leave a Mark campaign visit www.greatactions.ca

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General Hospital or the University Health Network.

Host Candice Coghlan is joined by guest host, Mary Beaucage. As a follow up to the episode Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Mary discusses her kidney transplant from her cousin, barriers to transplant and her extensive advocacy work. Candice and Mary are joined by Dr. Istvan Mucsi, a clinical investigator and transplant nephrologist at the Multi Organ Transplant Program and Division of Nephrology at UHN. They talk about Dr. Mucsi’s work in research about inequities in transplant, how research findings can support patients and families to remove some of these barriers and how to build trusting relationships.

And what was that all about the camo pants? Mary wears camo pants when she travels to bring her good luck as she had a string of unlucky travel delays and since wearing the camo pants, it has resolved some of her troubles.

For more information about CanSOLVE CKD Network, please visit https://cansolveckd.ca or
CDTRP: Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program visit https://cdtrp.ca
ACB Organ Health Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFFz8hoKUxTYltN1aX8nghA 

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General Hospital or the University Health Network. 

Host Candice Coghlan is joined by guest host, Alley Adams who lived with type 1 diabetes for over 30 years, and after three calls, received a kidney pancreas transplant on her fourth. They speak about what it is like to be diagnosed with a chronic illness at a young age, how that impacts your outlook on life, and how to find a living donor. Alley and Candice are joined by Andrea Norgate, Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Coordinator at University Health Network and non-directed, altruistic kidney donor. They talk about why transplant calls don’t always end in surgery, the ups and downs of the waitlist, and the goodness in people.

We love Andrea.

Do you have someone from the UHN Team who you love? Let us know by emailing us or posting it on social with #HearttheTeam

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General Hospital or the University Health Network. 

Host Candice Coghlan is joined by Guest Host, Sara Murray, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just months old. She brings us through her brave journey of what life was like as a child and young adult with cystic fibrosis and what it was like to receive “the call” for her lung transplant. Sara also discusses her journey in wanting to become a mother, and how her sister stepped forward to be her surrogate. Several years later Sara’s kidneys began to fail, and the same sister stepped forward to be her kidney donor. Sara and Candice are joined by Dr. Cecilia Chaparro who is the Director, Toronto Lung Transplant Program, Fellowship Program Director Respirology University of Toronto and Staff Respirologist at The Ajmera Transplant Centre and Cystic Fibrosis Program, St. Michael's Hospital. She discusses her passion for supporting people living with cystic fibrosis, the lung transplant program and how COVID changed the landscape for transplants.

For definitions of medical terminology used in this episode, please visit https://www.uhn.ca/PatientsFamilies/Health_Information/Pages/medical_dictionary.aspx

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General Hospital or the University Health Network. 

Today’s episode contains material that might be difficult to hear. Discretion is advised.

Host Candice Coghlan is joined by guest host, Tamara Hartley- Harris who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age. Tamara’s journey is one that is filled with hardship, strength and love. She discusses living with diabetes, having a life-threatening health episode that sent her into a coma which turned her and her family’s life upside down, how she managed dialysis and eventually the call for a kidney pancreas transplant. Candice and Tamara share touching moments as Tamara speaks about how her husband and family got her through the hardest days of her life. They are joined by Dr. Sharon Bray, writer and workshop developer as they discuss how writing is therapeutic, how to get your pen to paper and what writing about your transplant journey is all about. Hear beautiful excerpts of writings about the transplant journey from transplant recipients and donors who participated in the Writing Your Transplant Story webinar.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General Hospital or the University Health Network. 

Host Candice Coghlan is joined by guest host, Kate Chong, who received a kidney transplant from her husband. Kate and her husband have a two year old daughter, and she is pregnant, excitedly awaiting the birth of her son. Candice and Kate discuss their journeys in family planning, being pregnant, and the joys of motherhood while living with chronic kidney disease. They are joined by Candice’s obstetrical nephrologist, Dr. Anna Mathew, an Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University, staff nephrologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Director of Hemodialysis who discusses the process of family planning post-transplant, the considerations to be made before getting pregnant, and the hope for people wanting to explore this possibility.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General Hospital or the University Health Network. 

Hosts Courtney and Brittany sit down with Indigenous storyteller and kidney transplant recipient, Mary Beaucage for an authentic look at the kidney transplant experience. From her crash start into kidney failure to new experiences of community to advocating for patient oriented research, Mary holds nothing back.

Read more about Mary’s transplant patient advocacy here.

Courtney and Brittany sit down with Tianna McFarlane, the founder of Heal in Colour, for something a little different but absolutely necessary. Launched earlier this year, Heal in Colour is revolutionizing the way people shop for bandages by creating a world where black and brown bandages are part of the norm. Find out how Tianna broke into bandage world and how Heal in Colour has brought Canada closer to true representation at home and in the healthcare world. For more about Heal in Colour visit www.healincolour.ca

Post-liver transplant coordinator, Shauna Watson and post-lung transplant coordinator, Pauline Harney join Courtney and Brittany to discuss their roads into the world of transplant, the day-to-day life of a coordinator, and how they stay organized with literally hundreds of patients. Shauna and Pauline talk about the joy of seeing patients thrive and the wins that keep them addicted to the world of transplant. Also in this episode: what coordinators miss (and don’t miss) about working on the floor, why you should send your coordinator pictures of your grandchildren, and Brittany likes wounds.

Courtney and Brittany are joined by Dr. Hance Clarke, Director of Pain Services and Medical Director of the Pain Research Unit at Toronto General Hospital. Dr. Clarke walks our hosts through his journey to pain medicine, the difference between acute pain services and transitional pain services, and the interaction between CBD, THC, and anti-rejection medications. Also in this episode: how to pick out the anesthesiologist in the room, misconceptions about opioids, and Dr. Clarke’s favourite non- pharmacological form of pain management.