Living Transplant: Patient Stories | Organ Donation | Medical Experts cover art

Living Transplant: Patient Stories | Organ Donation | Medical Experts

Living Transplant: Patient Stories | Organ Donation | Medical Experts

By: Living Transplant: Patient Stories | Organ Donation | Medical Experts with Candice Coghlan. Supported by the Ajmera Transplant Centre Toronto General Hospital UHN
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Living Transplant: Patient Stories | Organ Donation | Medical Experts is a podcast that takes you behind the scenes at the transplant program at Toronto General Hospital with the goal to educate, inspire and fuel your passion about transplant, with your host, Candice Coghlan, an Education & Outreach Coordinator at the Centre for Living Organ Donation at the UHN Ajmera Transplant Centre and a kidney transplant recipient.669196 Biological Sciences Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science
Episodes
  • The Gosling Effect: How One Anonymous Liver Donor Redefined What’s Possible in Transplant Medicine

    The Gosling Effect: How One Anonymous Liver Donor Redefined What’s Possible in Transplant Medicine
    Jun 25 2026

    In this special episode, Candice sits down with Kevin Gosling, the first person in Canada to anonymously donate part of his liver to a stranger, made possible at UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre. More than 20 years later, his decision continues to shape the future of living organ donation.


    Kevin shares how a simple question—What about people who don't have someone to donate for them?—led him on a journey that challenged medical norms, changed hospital policies, and ultimately created what many now call "The Gosling Effect."


    Together, they discuss the barriers he faced, the emotional moments that stayed with him, the ripple effect of one selfless act, and why he believes ordinary people are capable of extraordinary generosity.


    Whether you're curious about living donation, have been touched by transplantation, or simply need a reminder of the good that exists in the world, this conversation is one you won't forget.


    In This Episode

    • How Kevin first learned that living donation to a stranger was possible
    • Why he refused to accept "we don't do that" as an answer
    • The challenges of becoming Canada's first anonymous living liver donor
    • The ethical questions and medical concerns behind a historic first
    • The support of family throughout the donation journey
    • Receiving a letter from the recipient's family for the first time
    • The origin of the "Gosling Effect" and its lasting impact
    • Why anonymous donation comes from a different kind of motivation
    • A powerful analogy about saving a life and taking a leap of faith
    • Kevin's hopes for the future of transplantation and organ donation


    Links

    Learn more about living organ donation: www.livingorgandonation.ca

    Living Organ Donation at UHN: UHN Ajmera Transplant Centre

    Information Sessions for potential donors: givelifeuhn.eventbrite.ca

    Becoming a living donor: https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Pages/become_living_donor.aspx

    Liver Canada: Transforming the future of liver health | Liver Canada


    Each episode, we share patient stories about organ donation from transplant recipients and living donors, along with insights and education from leading medical experts. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, a donor, or simply curious about the world of organ transplantation, you’ll hear expert advice and inspiring journeys of hope, resilience, and second chances.


    About our Host

    Candice Coghlan is the Education & Outreach Coordinator at the Centre for Living Organ Donation at the UHN Ajmera Transplant Centre. She is also a board member for the National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient. After she was diagnosed with kidney failure in her early 20s, she was on dialysis until receiving a transplant from her mother.


    Have questions? Comments? Ideas for an episode? Please reach out to the Centre for Living Organ Donation at livingorgandonation@uhn.ca. Thanks for spending your time with us.


    The views and opinions expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General or University Health Network.
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    43 mins
  • Never Lose Hope: Jess Bailey on Community, Dragon Boats and the Gift of Life

    Never Lose Hope: Jess Bailey on Community, Dragon Boats and the Gift of Life
    Jun 11 2026
    Growing up with kidney disease can feel isolating, but as this episode reminds us, you are never alone.In this episode of the Living Transplant Podcast, host Candice Coghlan sits down with longtime friend, advocate, transplant recipient and dragon boat coach Jess Bailey. Diagnosed with kidney disease as a child, Jess shares what it was like navigating school, friendships, dialysis and two kidney transplants while learning to embrace being different.Jess opens up about the realities of life after transplant, why a transplant is "a long-term temporary solution," and how community, peer support and sport have helped shape her journey. Together, Candice and Jess discuss the power of the Kidney Paired Donation Program, the importance of living donation, and the incredible impact that nurses, healthcare teams and fellow transplant recipients can have along the way.The conversation also explores the Transplant Games, dragon boating, survivor's guilt, adapting to dialysis, and why hope remains at the heart of the transplant community.Whether you're living with kidney disease, waiting for a transplant, supporting someone you love, or simply curious about organ donation, this episode is a reminder that there is always a community ready to welcome you.In This EpisodeGrowing up with kidney disease and dialysisNavigating childhood and high school while feeling "different"Receiving a first kidney transplant as a child that lasted nearly 24 yearsLife after transplant and managing lifelong medicationsWhy transplant is not a cureFinding belonging through dragon boating and the Transplant GamesThe importance of peer support and patient communitiesAdvice for newly diagnosed kidney patientsUnderstanding the Kidney Paired Donation ProgramThe generosity of living organ donorsHope for the future of transplantation and medical innovationGratitude for healthcare teams and transplant nursesLinks Learn more about living organ donation: www.livingorgandonation.ca Living Organ Donation at UHN: UHN Ajmera Transplant CentreInformation Sessions for potential donors: givelifeuhn.eventbrite.ca Becoming a living donor: https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Pages/become_living_donor.aspxKidney Foundation of Canada: https://kidney.ca/ Kidney Paired Donation Program: https://blood.ca/en/organs-tissues/living-donation/kidney-paired-donation-program Canadian Transplant Association and the Canadian Transplant Games:https://www.canadiantransplant.com Each episode, we share patient stories about organ donation from transplant recipients and living donors, along with insights and education from leading medical experts. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, a donor, or simply curious about the world of organ transplantation, you’ll hear expert advice and inspiring journeys of hope, resilience, and second chances.About our HostCandice Coghlan is the Education & Outreach Coordinator at the Centre for Living Organ Donation at the UHN Ajmera Transplant Centre. She is also a board member for the National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient. After she was diagnosed with kidney failure in her early 20s, she was on dialysis until receiving a transplant from her mother.Have questions? Comments? Ideas for an episode? Please reach out to the Centre for Living Organ Donation at livingorgandonation@uhn.ca. Thanks for spending your time with us.The views and opinions expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General or University Health Network.
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    44 mins
  • Beyond the Perfect Match: How HLA Science Is Changing Transplant

    Beyond the Perfect Match: How HLA Science Is Changing Transplant
    May 28 2026
    What actually makes someone a “match” for organ transplant? And how close are we to a future where transplant compatibility becomes even more personalized?In this episode of Living Transplant Podcast, host Candice sits down with Jeff Kiernan from UHN’s HLA Lab to explore the hidden world of transplant immunology — the science that helps determine donor compatibility, monitor antibodies, and support long-term transplant success.Jeff breaks down what HLA is, why the idea of a “perfect match” is often misunderstood in solid organ transplant, and how new innovations are helping highly sensitized patients access life-saving organs. From molecular matching and immune response prediction to the future of organ preservation and personalized transplant care, this conversation offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the science shaping the future of transplantation.Candice also reflects on her own experience as a kidney transplant recipient and what it means to live with the realities of sensitization, second transplants, and long-term graft survival.Whether you’re a transplant recipient, donor, healthcare professional, or simply curious about the incredible science happening behind the scenes, this episode shines a light on the people and technology working every day to help patients live longer, healthier lives.In This Episode:What HLA actually means and why it mattersThe truth about “perfect matches” in organ transplantHow antibodies affect transplant compatibilityWhy highly sensitized patients face additional challengesThe future of molecular matching and predictive transplant scienceHow UHN teams collaborate across transplant programsInnovations in organ preservation and perfusion technologyThe behind-the-scenes role of Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs)Links How UHN’s Transplant Immunology Lab matches patients with donor organs, stem cells: https://www.uhn.ca/corporate/News/Pages/uhn-transplant-immunology-lab-hla-matching.aspx Learn more about living organ donation: www.livingorgandonation.ca Living Organ Donation at UHN: UHN Ajmera Transplant CentreInformation Sessions for potential donors: givelifeuhn.eventbrite.ca Becoming a living donor: https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Pages/become_living_donor.aspxCBS Highly Sensitized Patient Program: https://professionaleducation.blood.ca/en/organs-and-tissues/programs/highly-sensitized-patient-hsp-program Each episode, we share patient stories about organ donation from transplant recipients and living donors, along with insights and education from leading medical experts. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, a donor, or simply curious about the world of organ transplantation, you’ll hear expert advice and inspiring journeys of hope, resilience, and second chances.About our HostCandice Coghlan is the Education & Outreach Coordinator at the Centre for Living Organ Donation at the UHN Ajmera Transplant Centre. She is also a board member for the National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant recipient. After she was diagnosed with kidney failure in her early 20s, she was on dialysis until receiving a transplant from her mother.Have questions? Comments? Ideas for an episode? Please reach out to the Centre for Living Organ Donation at livingorgandonation@uhn.ca. Thanks for spending your time with us.The views and opinions expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General or University Health Network.
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    35 mins
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