Transplant Chats With Eliza

In this episode we cover the trails and tribulations of having a second heart transplant, finding a new transplant centre and how creativity was a beacon of light in a largely uncertain and worrying time.

Created by Eliza Bell (@transplantchatswitheliza)

Produced by Billy Tucker ( @billytucker_soundengineer) and Toby Bernard

Interviewee: Gianna Paniagua

@tragicdarling

Gianna’s story starts 30 years ago as a baby, when her medical team found that she had a failing heart and needing a heart transplant.

We cover growing up different, moving from paediatric to adult health care and sharing her transplant journey through her art..  

Created by Eliza Bell (@transplantchatswitheliza)

Produced by Billy Tucker ( @billytucker_soundengineer) and Toby Bernard

Interviewee: Gianna Paniagua

@tragicdarling

DR Chris George is a GP within the NHS who shares information and advice through social media to improve awareness around lifestyle medicine and getting the most from your GP visits.

Megan started to experience health issues in 2002. After being misdiagnosed, Megan was told she was in renal failure.

Skip forward through 6 and a half years of dialysis, she finally received her gift of a Kidney.

Megan and I chat about her waiting on the list as a child, building your life back up post-transplant and empowering herself and her body by powerlifting.

Created by Eliza Bell (@transplantchatswitheliza)

Produced by Billy Tucker ( @billytucker_soundengineer) and Toby Bernard

Interviewee: Megan Cairns

@megancairns

www.cairnsfundrasing.wixsite.com

After giving birth to her son Husdon, Emily started suffering chest infections, tiredness, and loss of appetite.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and Emily was rushed into hospital to waiting on the urgent heart transplant list.

In our conversation we cover the shock of being and fit and health to then needing a new organ, being away from your family and new born baby for 7 weeks and looking forward to a healthy future.

Created by Eliza Bell (@transplantchatswitheliza)

Produced by Billy Tucker ( @billytucker_soundengineer) and Toby Bernard

Interviewee: Emily Glover

@thegolverstory

In the episode we chat to Nicola, the mother of Miriam.

Nicola joins us celebrate the life Miriam and the generous gifts she gave to four people at the end of her life.

We’ll also learn how Miriam’s ‘organ donation conversation’ before her death, made it so much easier for her family to say yes, to donating her organs

Nicola also shares her thoughts and feelings around her Miriam’s organ recipients and how receiving letters from them helped her and her family with their grieving.  

Created by Eliza Bell (@transplantchatswitheliza)

Produced by Billy Tucker ( @billytucker_soundengineer) and Toby Bernard

Interviewee: Nicola Lee (Mother of Miriam, Donor Family Member)

To find out more about the ‘Leave Them Certain’ and to make your organ donation wishes known go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk .

A montage of clips from both the public and transplant recipients talk about what they know about organ donation.

Have you had the organ donation conversation with your family.?

Created by Eliza Bell (@transplantchatswitheliza)

Produced by Billy Tucker ((@billytucker_soundengineer) and Toby Bernard

Interviewee: Hannah Sharma (@hannahsharmacoaching)

To find out more about the ‘Leave Them Certain’ and to make your organ donation wishes known go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk

In this episode Eliza is joined by a Hannah Sharma (@HannahSharmaCoaching), a heart transplant recipient, mindset coach and friend of the show (episode 8).    

It is Organ Donation Week and to us, that means another excuse to spread awareness about this cause which is very close to our hearts (pun intended).

We discuss Hollywood’s depiction of organ donation, how donors are matched to patients in need, donor families and the importance of talking to your own family about your future wishes.  

Created by Eliza Bell (@transplantchatswitheliza)

Produced by Billy Tucker ((@billytucker_soundengineer) and Toby Bernard

Interviewee: Hannah Sharma (@hannahsharmacoaching)

To find out more about the ‘Leave Them Certain’ and to make your organ donation wishes known go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk

In this episode, we chat to Katy Portell, a heart valve recipient, NHS blood transplant ambassador programme manager and Ted talk speaker extraordinaire.

Katy is from America, but she now lives in the London where she support NHS BT’s efforts in promoting organ donation to the public.

Katy herself has so many diverse perspectives on transplantation and organ donation which I can’t wait for you to hear.

We chat about Katy’s health journey, her work, and most importantly her contact with her donor family, who have helped her to connect with her donor, P.J who’s selfless act saved her life as a child.

Created by Eliza Bell (@transplantchatswitheliza)

Produced by Billy Tucker ( @billytucker_soundengineer) and Toby Bernard

Interviewee: Katy Portell

To find out more about the ‘Leave Them Certain’ and to make your organ donation wishes known go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk

In the episode of the ‘Organ Donation Week’ special, we talk to the wonderful Karen who is a proud organ donation advocate.

Karen lost her husband Mark after a sudden death in 2018. At one of the most difficult moments in her life, Karen selflessly said yes to donating her husbands’ organs.

Since then, Karen has been using her experiences in a positive way to help NHS BT and ‘The Donor Family Network’ to support others.

We will be chatting about all of the above as well as Karen’s views of receiving letters from recipients who received Mark’s organs.

Created by Eliza Bell (@transplantchatswitheliza)

Produced by Billy Tucker ( @billytucker_soundengineer) and Toby Bernard

Interviewee: Karen Piotr (Donor Family Member)

LINKS:

https://www.donorfamilynetwork.co.uk/

https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/organ-transplantation/resources/writing-to-a-donor-family-or-recipient/

https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/helping-you-to-decide/real-life-stories/families-who-donated-their-loved-ones-organs-andor-tissue/karen-and-mark-s-story/

To find out more about the ‘Leave Them Certain’ and to make your organ donation wishes known go to www.organdonation.nhs.uk