Living Transplant: Patient Stories | Organ Donation | Medical Experts – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this inspiring episode, host Candice Coghlan speaks with Megan Owen-Evans, a rare double anonymous living organ donor. Megan has given both a kidney and part of her liver—gifts offered not to family or friends, but to complete strangers in need.

Together, they explore what motivates someone to step forward for such extraordinary acts of altruism, the recovery journey, and the myths and misconceptions around anonymous donation. Megan also shares how her experiences as a donor inspired her advocacy work, including pushing for paid leave for living donors through the Living Donor Circle of Excellence.

This conversation highlights not only the bravery of living donors but also the ripple effects their generosity creates in workplaces, families, and communities.

Episode Highlights

Megan’s journey from childhood experience to becoming a living donor

Discovering the option of anonymous kidney and liver donation

What recovery was really like after both surgeries

Misconceptions about living and anonymous donation—and how to address them

Writing letters to her recipients and the emotional connections that followed

How Megan helped shape workplace policy to remove financial barriers for donors

Why living donors see their gift as life-changing not just for recipients, but for themselves

Takeaways

Living donors undergo thorough medical and psychological screening to ensure safety.

Recovery from kidney and liver donation is often faster and easier than many assume.

Community support and employer recognition play a vital role in making donation possible.

Altruism can be a powerful force that reshapes not only individual lives but also public policy.

Every act of donation—whether blood, organs, or advocacy—creates ripples of hope.

Links and Resources

Click here for more information about the Living Donor Circle of Excellence

Click here to watch videos of living organ donors and recipients of living donation

Connect with the Podcast or Learn more about Organ Donation

Click here for more information about living organ donation.

Click here for more information about living kidney transplantation. 

Click here for more information about living liver transplantation

Click here to watch videos of living organ donors and recipients of living donation

Centre for Living Organ Donation on Instagram

Ajmera Transplant Centre on Instagram

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.

In this episode, Dr. Marsh explains the neuroscience of altruism, from the role of the amygdala to genetic influences on empathy. Through Dr. Marsh’s donor stories and research insights we explore the spectrum of altruism and psychopathy. She reveals how the amygdala, the brain region tied to emotional responses, plays a pivotal role in altruistic behavior. Remarkably, research shows that altruistic kidney donors often have larger amygdala sizes compared to the average person.

Dr. Marsh also reveals the genetic factors that shape empathy and altruistic tendencies, while challenging the misconception that altruism is irrational or abnormal. She contrasts the media’s frequent focus on negative aspects of human nature with the lived experiences of donors, who describe profound feelings of honor and fulfillment after giving the gift of life.

Throughout the conversation, personal stories from living organ donors underscore the importance of community support for both donors and recipients. Dr. Marsh emphasizes the power of education and awareness to dispel myths about donation and highlights that altruism is not only a natural human trait but also one that can be nurtured and encouraged in all of us.

Links and Resources

Dr. Marsh’s Website

Dr. Marsh’s TedTalk

The Fear Factor, by Dr. Marsh

Dr. Marsh LinkedIn

Connect with the Podcast or Learn more about Organ Donation

Click here for more information about living organ donation.

Click here for more information about living kidney transplantation. 

Click here for more information about Polycystic Kidney Disease. 

Ajmera Transplant Centre on Instagram

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.

In this episode, host, Candice, is joined by Melissa Sidhu who works in healthcare, is a passionate volunteer and living liver donor to her brother over 10 years ago. We spoke about her journey as a donor, relationships with loved ones, how to find tiny moments of joy and gratitude throughout this episode.

You will also hear clips from members of the transplant community sharing their gratitude.

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

To learn more about living liver donation, please visit https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Living_Donor_Program/Pages/living_liver_donor.aspx

To listen to all of our submissions of gratitude, please visit https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13Di_gaucmChOR7tDB873mGsCQAgh9zkD?usp=sharing 

To read messages of gratitude, please visit bit.ly/LDW23TX

In this episode, host Candice Coghlan sat down with Afsana Lallani, a cat lover and nursing graduate who made a public social appeal to find a living liver donor to save her life. They talk about being young and living with a chronic illness, facing death and how a supportive community can make all the difference. They are later joined by Dilshad Lallani, Afsana’s mother, caregiver and a pediatric nurse practitioner. She speaks about the family journey in supporting someone on the transplant waitlist, being an emotional support and what it was like being a nurse practitioner living through the process with her daughter on the verge of death. 

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

For more information about PSC, please visit https://www.liver.ca/patients-caregivers/liver-diseases/primary-sclerosing-cholangitis/ 

For more information about finding a living donor, please join one of the Centre's free virtual Finding a Living Donor Webinars, by registering at http://givelifeuhn.eventbrite.ca 

In this episode, we're celebrating Living Donation Week. Host, Candice was joined by Sylvie Charbonneau, past president of the Kidney Foundation of Canada, advocate, change maker, and living kidney donor to her son. We were also joined by Dr. Joseph Kim, Director of the Kidney Transplant Program at the Ajmera Transplant Center. We discussed barriers and changes that need to be made to increase access to organ donation as a whole across Canada and how we can support others to receive and give the gift of life.

For more information about living kidney donation, please visit https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Kidney_Transplant_Program 

For more information about the ODTC Collaborative, please visit https://profedu.blood.ca/en/organs-and-tissues/practices-and-guidelines/current-projects/odtc-projects 

If you have questions, please reach out to us at livingorgandonation@uhn.ca

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

In this episode, host Candice, takes you behind the scenes of the Ajmera Transplant Centre's 2nd Annual Education and Research Conference, to hear about incredible science, clinical, and research aspects of transplantation. Hear from the following:

Samrat Ray: Expanding the transplant pancreas donor, using an ex vivo perfusion model.

Adriana Roberta: Determining the impact of certain mismatches, which are located in the DQ Loco and the development of chronic rejection.

Javier Solera: The severity of COVID 19 Omicron variant and Omicron specific immune responses in solid organ transplant patients.

Lakshmi Kugathasan: Systematic review and network meta analysis research in induction therapy in heart transplantation.

Bonnie Chao: Machine learning approaches to processing and interpreting ex vivo lung radiographs and predicting transplant outcomes.

Dr. Laura Donahoe: Improving the quality of lung transplantation through a technical skills simulation program for surgical lung transplant fellows. 

Christina Lam: Fibrinogen like protein 2 molecule and how it influences the development of thymic regulatory T cells. 

Luckshi Rajendran: The Toronto management of initially unresectable liver metastasis for colorectal cancer  in a living donor liver transplant program.

For more information about the Ajmera Transplant Centre's program, please visit www.uhntransplant.ca 

For more information about Dr. Laura Donahoe's Take-Home Surgical Anastomosis Simulation Model, please visit: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37202320/ 

If you have questions, please reach out to us at livingorgandonation@uhn.ca

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

In this episode, host Candice Coghlan was joined by Justin Poy, a father, entrepreneur, and businessman who has lived with multiple types of renal replacement therapy since the age of 10, including three kidney transplants, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, as well as home dialysis. Justin spoke about mental health, resiliency, parenting with a chronic illness, and how to appreciate each day. Later we were joined by Dr. Samantha Anthony, the first person to hold the title of Health Clinician Scientist in Canada, Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Center, Department of Social Work, Child Health Evaluative Science Research Institute at SickKids. Together, we explored the medical journey and tools to support children, youth, and families created from the perspective of those who live with it. We also spoke about post traumatic growth and the whole family journey. 

For more information about peer support, please visit https://kidney.ca/support 

For more information about living kidney donation, please visit www.livingorgandonation.ca

For more information about Dr. Samantha Anthony's work, please visit https://lab.research.sickkids.ca/anthony/anthony-lab/ 

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us at livingorgandonation@uhn.ca

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

In this episode, host Candice Coghlan sat down with Tara Lisabeth, who received not one, but two double lung transplants at a young age. She spoke about life with cystic fibrosis, what it felt like to take deep breaths and how transplant gave her the opportunity to walk down the aisle and get married. Later we were joined by Dr. Marcelo Cypel, the Surgical Director for the Ajmera Transplant Centre at UHN and UHN ECLS Program, among many other accolades, who also performed Tara's first double lung transplant. He spoke to us about innovations to expand the donor pool and create more viable lungs for transplant with therapies like light based therapy to inactivate hepatitis C virus, a universal blood type, lung preservation and repair with Ex Vivo, and what it is like leading and being part of a team who has now celebrated the 3000th lung transplant.

For more information about Cystic Fibrosis, please visit: https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Lung_Transplant_Program/Pre-Transplant/Pages/cystic_fibrosis.aspx 

For more information about the UHN Lung Transplant Program, please visit: https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Lung_Transplant_Program 

For more information about the Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion System, please visit: https://uhnfoundation.ca/stories/out-of-body-experience/ 

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

In this episode, host Candice Coghlan sat down with Shilpa Raju, an epidemiologist who finished her degree while battling cancer. She survived the cancer, however unfortunately the side effects from her treatment caused severe lung damage, resulting in her need for a double lung transplant. Shilpa spoke about being a young person battling illness and trying to keep a sense of normalcy and positivity through her day to day. Later, we were joined by Dr Mamatha Bhat, a staff hepatologist and clinician scientist at UHN's Ajmera Transplant Program and University of Toronto's division of gastroenterology. She speaks to us about machine learning and AI implications for health care and how it is going to revolutionize the world of transplant and beyond.

To learn more about Dr. Bhat's research in Artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning in liver transplant visit:  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37208107/ 

For information about living organ donation visit www.livingorgandonation.ca or www.uhntransplant.ca 

You can also reach out to us directly at livingorgandonation@uhn.ca 

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

Host Candice Coghlan is joined by Darryl Wallis, who was diagnosed with Hollow Visceral Myopathy at age one. He grew up in and out of hospitals and unable to eat, but about 16 years ago, he received a multi-organ transplant including a liver, bowel, stomach and pancreas, which gave him his life back. He was able to have a family and become a pharmacist and a few years ago, Darryl's son was diagnosed with the same disease. He also received a multi-organ transplant by the same surgeon, Dr. Anand Ghanekar, who is our expert guest. Dr. Ghanekar's practice focuses on abdominal organ transplantation. He joins us to discuss the rarity of multi-organ transplants and the privilege it is to have the opportunity to restore somebody from certain death to almost a normal life, and the personal connection he has to the success of his patients.

To learn more about the multi organ transplant program visit https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Pages/default.aspx 

Want to register your consent to be an organ donor when you pass? Want to see if you are a registered organ donor? Visit www.beadonor.ca and don't forget to tell your family about your wishes.

You can also reach out to us directly with any questions at livingorgandonation@uhn.ca

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