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
  • Who Am I in a Hospital Gown? Identity, Trauma, and Triple Transplant

    Who Am I in a Hospital Gown? Identity, Trauma, and Triple Transplant
    Oct 15 2026

    Sonia went into the hospital expecting to have her heart valve replaced. She planned to return to her teaching job just two weeks later. But when her heart could no longer keep up after surgery, what began as a routine procedure quickly became a fight for her life. Within months, Sonia was facing heart failure, failing lungs, and the need for a heart and double lung transplant.


    In this episode, Candice sits down with Sonia to explore her extraordinary journey through months in hospital, the uncertainty of waiting for a life-saving transplant, and the emotional toll of facing a future she never imagined. Sonia shares what it was like to learn that she needed not one, but three new organs, and how she grappled with fear, grief, and the possibility that she might not survive.


    As the months in hospital passed, Sonia began to find ways to reconnect with herself. Through sewing, crafting, decorating her hospital room, and creating moments of comfort, she found ways to hold on to her identity beyond being a patient. With the support of her family, friends, healthcare team, and an incredible hospital wedding, Sonia discovered what kept her fighting: love, connection, and the determination to live the years her mother and sister never had the chance to experience.


    Sonia also speaks candidly about life after transplant, including the trauma that can linger long after surgery, the nightmares and emotional challenges of recovery, and the difficulty of finding a community of people who truly understand what she has experienced. As a patient advocate, her journey has deepened her belief that support, connection, and being heard are essential parts of healing.


    This is a conversation about more than survival. It is about rebuilding an identity when illness takes so much away, learning to live with the lasting effects of medical trauma, and finding hope even when the future feels uncertain. Sonia reminds us that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we can find meaning in the people we love, the experiences we share, and the chapters still waiting to be written.


    Links and Resources

    Click here for more information about living organ donation.

    Click here for more information about living kidney donation

    Click here for more information about living liver donation

    Click here for information Sessions for potential donors

    Click here to learn more about the Kidney Foundation’s Peer Support Program

    Click here for mental health support from Canadian Mental Health Association


    Connect with the Podcast or Learn More About Organ Donation

    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 National Board Member for the Kidney Foundation of Canada 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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    54 mins
  • Borrowing Spoons and Finding Hope: Layla’s Journey with Kidney Disease

    Borrowing Spoons and Finding Hope: Layla’s Journey with Kidney Disease
    Oct 1 2026
    At 27, Layla discovered they had been living with only one functioning kidney. After their kidney function rapidly declined, they found themselves navigating kidney failure, dialysis, and a life that looked very different from the one they had imagined. But their journey would lead to a life-changing gift: a kidney transplant from their mother, who travelled all the way from Iran to donate.In this episode, Candice sits down with Layla to explore their journey from diagnosis to transplantation, including the emotional challenges of living with kidney disease as a young adult. Layla shares what it was like to move from Iran to Canada, discover their kidney condition, and adjust to the realities of dialysis while trying to maintain a sense of independence and connection with friends.Together, Layla and Candice reflect on the importance of peer support, the spoon theory and the challenges of accepting help. Layla opens up about the complicated emotions surrounding their mother’s decision to donate, including the fear of putting her through surgery and the guilt of accepting such an extraordinary gift. Through therapy and reflection, Layla began to understand the transplant as an opportunity for healing, love, and connection.Layla also shares how life changed after transplant, from the freedom to travel and enjoy everyday moments to the deeper meaning of calling the transplanted kidney “our kidney.” Whether you are navigating kidney disease, considering living donation, or supporting someone through transplantation, this conversation is a powerful reminder that hope can be found in connection, accepting help, and learning to embrace the love that others offer.In This EpisodeWhat it was like to navigate kidney disease as a young adult while trying to maintain friendships, work, and independenceHow peer support through the Kidney Foundation helped Layla feel understood and less aloneWhat the spoon theory means.Why Layla chose in-centre hemodialysis and how building support systems helped them manage their healthThe emotional challenges of accepting a kidney donation from their motherHow therapy helped Layla work through guilt, fear, and the complicated emotions surrounding living donationWhy Layla calls the transplanted kidney “our kidney” and how the transplant became part of a deeper healing journeyHow living with kidney disease taught Layla to accept uncertainty and appreciate the presentWhy accepting help and love can be an important part of finding hopeLinksClick here for more information about living organ donation.Click here for more information about living kidney donationClick here for more information about living liver donationClick here for information Sessions for potential donorsClick here to learn more about the Kidney Foundation’s Peer Support ProgramConnect with the Podcast or Learn More About Organ DonationEach 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 National Board Member for the Kidney Foundation of Canada 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.
    Show More Show Less
    51 mins
  • From Blood Donation to Double Living Donor: Tyler’s Kidney and Liver Donation Story

    From Blood Donation to Double Living Donor: Tyler’s Kidney and Liver Donation Story
    Sep 17 2026
    In this special episode, Candice sits down with Tyler, a double living organ donor whose journey began with donating blood and eventually led him to donate both a portion of his liver and a kidney. Tyler first became interested in living donation after years of donating blood and wondering about the direct impact his donations could have. He decided to anonymously donate part of his liver to someone he had never met, ultimately becoming a living liver donor at UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre. But his story didn’t end with one donation. Tyler decided to pursue anonymous kidney donation as well. Then, an extraordinary series of connections changed everything. Years earlier, Tyler had met a couple while on vacation. Through a series of remarkable coincidences, he later discovered that they were connected to people in his own family—and eventually learned that the woman he had met was experiencing kidney failure and needed a transplant. Tyler had already begun the process of becoming an anonymous kidney donor. He wondered whether his donation could instead be directed to her. After going through the necessary testing, they discovered they were a match.Together, Tyler and Candice talk about the emotional experience of anonymous donation, family concerns, recovery from two very different surgeries, and what it means to see the impact of a donation unfold over time. Tyler also reflects on the idea that one donation can affect far more than a single recipient—from a recipient’s spouse and children to the people waiting behind them on the transplant list. Whether you are considering living donation, have been touched by transplantation, or simply want to hear a remarkable story about generosity and human connection, this conversation is a powerful reminder that one decision can change far more lives than we may ever see.In This Episode● How Tyler’s journey into living donation began with blood donation● Why he decided to anonymously donate part of his liver to a stranger● How Tyler and his family navigated the fear and uncertainty surrounding donation● Why Tyler decided to pursue a second donation—a kidney● The incredible series of coincidences that connected Tyler with his kidney recipient● The difference between recovering from liver and kidney donation● The ripple effect of living donation and how one donation can impact an entire family● What Tyler wishes more people understood about living donation● Why he believes one decision can have a much greater impact than we may ever seeLinksClick here for more information about living organ donation.Click here for more information about living kidney donationClick here for more information about living liver donationClick here for information Sessions for potential donorsKatie’s story: https://youtu.be/f6lIYM9fiCU?si=q7eE3_VCCGhha-Qx Yorkville Run / Team Transplant: https://bit.ly/teamtransplant26 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 National Board Member for the Kidney Foundation of Canada 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.The views and opinions expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General or University Health Network.
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
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