Canadian Transplant Association - L'association Canadienne des Greffés
I am so grateful for my new kidney and my second chance at life.
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Profiles of Life

Organ donation is changing lives for the better in Canada and around the world. The following inspirational submissions come from real transplant recipients who are the Living Proof!

Pocket Kidney

February 3 is my kidney day but it is also my birthday, so on my 51st birthday an angel delivered my gift all wrapped up in a miracle. I call it my ‘pocket kidney’, because when I put my hand in my pocket I know I am blessed.

Ryley's Story

Our daughter Ryley was born in June 2005 and, other than deciding to join us a few weeks early, she appeared to be a healthy baby girl. We took Ryley to all her doctor’s visits and had the health nurse to our home and no one saw any indications that anything was wrong. But when Ryley was two months old, she started to vomit and was making a little sighing noise when she was breathing.

Putting My New Kidney to Good Use

In 2008 I was diagnosed with renal failure and quickly required regular dialysis. I chose to go on ‘Cycler’ which meant I could dialyze during the night while I slept leaving my days free to work and enjoy time with family and friends.

Hockey Dream

Anyone who has undergone an organ transplant or is still on a waiting list knows what it’s like to anxiously await “the call”.

A Gift of Life, A Gift of Love

"Mother and daughter are doing fine," has been my partner Shelagh's response to many well-wishers these past few days.

A Second Chance at Life

In July of 2003 I was given a second chance at life when My husband unselfishly gave me one of his kidneys.

My Name is Angie Essery

I had my first transplant in Toronto at the Hospital for Sick Children (called SickKIds or HSC for short) in 1990 when I was a teenager. I just went to the celebration last week on the 40th anniversary of Kidney Transplantation and got to meet Donna Fleming which made me so happy!

My Name is Amy Baxendale

My name is Amy Baxendale and just over a year ago my dad, Rowland, had a liver transplant. He was not able to wait for a cadaver so my Aunt Nancy, his sister, donated her liver.

Big Sister Our Hero

I have a wonderful story about how my older sister saved our father's life by donating 70 % of her liver to him.

Donor Family Thanked

My father in law passed away suddenly on August 24th, 2007. He was only 51 years old and had always supported and discussed the gift of organ donation with his family and loved ones.

Dave and Sylvain Mountain Climbing

On November 18, 2004, Sylvain Bédard, heart transplant recipient, and Dave Smith, kidney transplant recipient left Montreal and joined forces with a multidisciplinary medical team to climb to the highest summit of Bolivia.

Born to Raise Hell

Twenty years ago, a donor liver gave nurse Heather Fisher a new lease on life, and she's still celebrating

Getting Started

When many transplant recipients first hear about the World Transplant Games they think,"I could never do anything like that." They think that the games are very competitive, and only superb athletes can participate. This is only true for some countries, however anyone can join Team Canada to participate.

A Gift of Life

Through visions of love...We plant the seeds of growth...

A Donor Mom

I am a Donor Mom and it's been over 114 months since my Son gave the Incredible Gift of Life and Tissue to 32 people.

Recipients of the Gloria Santini Award

Previous winners of the Gloria Santini Memorial Award include: Janet Brady 2004, Carol Devine 2002, Dick Winter 2000, and Cricket Fox 1998.

Happy, Healthy

I was a caterpillar making a cocoon...I emerged a butterfly still damp but ready to soar.

Ian's Observations

8th World Transplant Games in Budapest, Hungary, August 26th-31, 1991

New Lungs carry the Olympic Torch

Seven years ago, a double-lung transplant saved Kurt Penner’s life. Now he’s using his second wind to carry the Olympic Torch.

A Look Back

This past year the Canadian Transplant Association (CTA) celebrated a significant milestone – 20 years of promoting organ and tissue donation awareness in Canada. But few of us know how it all started.

Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal

In January 2003, Janet Brady and Heather Fisher became recipients of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in "honour of exemplary contributions to make London a better community and for significant achievement and service to the community."

CTA Members Introduced into the Brampton Sports Hall of Fame

On Tuesday Nov 21, 2000, the 20th Annual Induction Ceremonies at the Brampton Centre for Sports and Entertainment, will be honouring 5 recipients from Brampton. Both Stevan Krajnjan and Dick Winter, Organ Transplant Recipients, were selected for their personal accomplishments over the years.

In Praise of The Lung Transplant Team at Toronto General Hospital

I've come a long way since these first days of my "second chance". This April 20th will mark the four-year anniversary of my single-lung transplant. And what a wonderful four years it's been!

Never too Late

It's never too late just to say it,...To reach across boundaries and care...

Thank You

When one life passes on new life to another...It's a miracle, the miracle of a new life is born...

The Spirit

My heart and kidney go with you...Pumping blood and liquid gold...

The Medal

It was time again to go to the World Transplant Games. It was 1989 and soon I would be in a part of the world I had never been before ~Asia.

The Rookie

As a Rookie on the Canadian Transplant Games team I would like to extend thanks to the "Veterans" and fellow athletes for making the games a success. It was a wonderful experience to celebrate my ONE year "Transplant anniversary" on the Opening Day of the 8th World Transplant Games in Budapest, Hungary.

Transplant survivor honoured by Guinness

Lung recipient beats doctors' odds to care for ill wife

Wyatt's Story

Wyatt was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure early in 1976, several months after his older brother Lance had been diagnosed. They spent many weeks together in the Hospital for Sick Children, having tests and dialysis.

The Devine Ms. C

A Newfoundlander who'd had a transplant asked if I'd ever heard of any such thing as a transplant games. So I phoned the Kidney Foundation in Montreal (headquarters for the games then), and they told me all about them. At that time they were just called the Kidney Transplant Olympics.