The Journey Continues

Author and advocate Amy S. Peele relies on her sense of humor and experience as a retired transplant nurse to inspire her mystery novels with a cause.

Find Amy’s books at amyspeele.com and follow her on social media at @amyspeeleauthor on Facebook and @amypeele on Instagram.

Pageant contestants are required to speak eloquently on a social cause close to their hearts. For Jessica Tilton, the reigning Miss Quad Cities whose father was waiting for a kidney, there was no question what cause she would choose.

Happily, shortly after this episode was recorded, Jessica’s father got the call and received his life-saving kidney transplant! Follow Jessica on social media @MissQuadCities on Facebook and @MissQuadCities2023 and @jessica_tilton on Instagram.

When Dr. Carlos Becerril-Romero was a little boy, he experienced some scary health issues that informed his future career path and inspired him to help other children just like him.

Host Monica Fox walks us through her painful and often terrifying journey with COVID as a transplant recipient.

Cubs fan Bridgett Kolls went viral when she held up a sign at Wrigley Field that said “this lil Cubbie needs a kidney.”  Her life-saving kidney came from an unlikely source – White Sox fan Thomas Alessio.  

Figuring out what to eat in each stage of kidney disease can be frustrating and confusing. Renal dietitian Kelly Nemec joins Dr. Melissa Prest to talk all things kidney diet – including tips for setting yourself up for a successful transplant. 

Host Monica Fox participated in the 2022 Transplant Games. Between games, she pulled aside a few athletes, donor families, and organizers behind the event to find out why this event is so powerful.

When Lisa Givens received her kidney transplant, it changed her life, allowing her to do things she never thought were possible.  Cancer suddenly jeopardized her post-transplant lifestyle and put her back on dialysis.  Now she’s waiting for a second gift of life.

Robotic surgery may sound like something from a sci-fi movie but for Dr. Enrico Benedetti and his transplant team at UIC Health, it’s a reality. His state-of-the-art facility allows him to perform transplant surgeries on patients who are often considered higher risk.

What do Hall of Famer Harold Baines and Mayor of Willowbrook Frank Trilla have in common – aside from a love of the Chicago White Sox? They’re both transplant recipients and outspoken advocates for organ donation!