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