Blog

Krista Connor- Advocate and Kidney Transplant Recipient

Interviewed by Albi Angjeli Krista Connor is a mother, wife, and high school teacher in the Niagara region. She inherited polycystic kidney disease, a genetic kidney illness, from her paternal side. She spent two and a half years on dialysis before she found a donor through the kidney exchange program run by the Canadian Blood … Continue reading Krista Connor- Advocate and Kidney Transplant Recipient

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Dr. Scott Livingstone – Surgical Director and Liver Transplant Recipient

Interviewed by Gina So Dr. Scott Livingstone is a liver transplant surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He specializes in multi-organ transplants, hepatobiliary surgeries and general surgeries. When he was 14, Dr. Livingstone was diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency which resulted in him requiring two liver transplants.  He … Continue reading Dr. Scott Livingstone – Surgical Director and Liver Transplant Recipient

Debunking Six Common Organ Donation Myths

By Noah Varghese and Simi Juriasingani Over the past few decades, awareness about the impact of organ donation and transplantation has risen thanks to the media and advancements in transplantation research. However, certain pervasive misconceptions about organ donation still persist and, in this piece, we want to shed light on six myths that are brought … Continue reading Debunking Six Common Organ Donation Myths

Greg Wilkinson – Liver and Kidney Transplant Recipient (Part 2)

Interviewed by Simi Juriasingani, Ariana Walji, Kaitlyn Foster, Molly Friesen Greg Wilkinson was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease in his mid-20s. Thirty-five years later, in 2015, he began the process of being worked up for a kidney transplant and it was discovered that he would need a liver transplant as well.  Since his surgery in … Continue reading Greg Wilkinson – Liver and Kidney Transplant Recipient (Part 2)

Greg Wilkinson – Liver and Kidney Transplant Recipient (Part 1)

Interviewed by Simi Juriasingani, Molly Friesen, Ariana Walji, Kaitlyn Foster Greg Wilkinson was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease in his mid-20s. Thirty-five years later, in 2015, he began the process of being worked up for a kidney transplant and it was discovered that he would need a liver transplant as well. Since his surgery in … Continue reading Greg Wilkinson – Liver and Kidney Transplant Recipient (Part 1)

Lesley Latchford – Kidney Donor (Part 2)

Interviewed by Simi Juriasingani, Noah Varghese and Katarina Zorcic  Lesley Latchford’s father was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2003. By 2012, it was clear that he would need a transplant eventually. Lesley donated one of her kidneys to her father in February 2017. We recently had the opportunity to speak with her about her … Continue reading Lesley Latchford – Kidney Donor (Part 2)

Lesley Latchford – Kidney Donor (Part 1)

Interviewed by Simi Juriasingani, Katarina Zorcic and Noah Varghese Lesley Latchford’s father was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2003. By 2012, it was clear that he would need a transplant eventually. Lesley donated one of her kidneys to her father in February 2017. We recently had the opportunity to speak with her about her … Continue reading Lesley Latchford – Kidney Donor (Part 1)

Dr. Frederike Ambagtsheer- HOTT Project Coordinator

Interviewed by: Ashlyn Chou Dr. Frederike Ambagtsheer is an Assistant Professor at the Erasmus Medical Center (Erasmus MC) Transplant Institute in Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 2012 to 2016, Ambagtsheer coordinated the HOTT project, an international research initiative on human trafficking for the purpose of organ removal. This was an EU-funded collaboration between several European research institutions, … Continue reading Dr. Frederike Ambagtsheer- HOTT Project Coordinator

The Organ Priority Rule – Can it really save more lives?

By Armita Hamedi and Katarina Zorcic The total number of organ donations in the United States and Canada is rapidly increasing compared to previous years. The amount of people who are deciding to become deceased organ donors is increasing more than ever before, and there has been a record-breaking number of organ transplants performed in … Continue reading The Organ Priority Rule – Can it really save more lives?

Dr. Alp Sener – Urology Chair/Chief, Clinician Scientist, Renal Transplant Fellowship Program Director, and Associate Professor of Surgery

Interviewed by Katarina Zorcic, Shreya Sharma, and Amy Kwon What interests you about the field of organ transplantation? Dr. Sener: The first thing is the patients – we have a really unique group of patients that are so grateful and so wonderful to work with. End stage renal disease is such a devastating disease. Unfortunately, … Continue reading Dr. Alp Sener – Urology Chair/Chief, Clinician Scientist, Renal Transplant Fellowship Program Director, and Associate Professor of Surgery

Reciprocal Altruism: An in-depth look at an incentive policy to increase organ donation

By Christopher De Luca and Katarina Zorcic Organ advocacy initiatives have made strides in informing Canadians about the increased need for organ donors. As highlighted by Amy Kwon in a prior article, 90% of Canadians express their support for the issue of our current organ shortage crisis. However, the focus now must shift to considering … Continue reading Reciprocal Altruism: An in-depth look at an incentive policy to increase organ donation

The Current State of Organ Donations in Canada

By Amy Kwon and Katarina Zorcic Organ donations are imperative and often life-saving medical treatments for many patients worldwide. There seems to be a disconnect between the public’s knowledge of the importance of organ donating and the number of organ donors, and there is undoubtedly a supply problem compared to the demand. In Canada, there … Continue reading The Current State of Organ Donations in Canada

The Organ Shortage: What We Can do to Increase Organ Donation in Canada

By Molly Friesen and Katarina Zorcic In Canada and other developed countries, organ donation rates have been relatively low. Despite national efforts, “supply has not kept pace with demand” (Caplan, 2016). Compared to other countries like Spain and the US, Canada’s organ donation rate is low. In 2019, the country’s deceased organ donor rate was … Continue reading The Organ Shortage: What We Can do to Increase Organ Donation in Canada

Disparities in Organ Donation Rates Among Different Demographic Groups in Canada

By Jenny Kang and Katarina Zorcic 91% of organ donors in Canada are Caucasian, even though this demographic only consists of 81% of the population (Li et al., 2015). Canada is home to a diverse population, with 22.3% belonging to a minority group. Of this subpopulation, most people belong to the East Asian, South Asian, … Continue reading Disparities in Organ Donation Rates Among Different Demographic Groups in Canada

Dr. Vivian McAlister – Transplant Surgeon, Canadian Armed Forces Combat Surgeon, and Professor

Interviewed by Katarina Zorcic and Shreya Sharma Could you please introduce yourself to our audience and tell us about what you do? Dr. McAlister: Vivian McAllister is my name. I'm a surgeon at [London’s] University Hospital. My special interest is in transplantation. I do liver, kidney, and pancreas transplantations. I'm also a professor at the … Continue reading Dr. Vivian McAlister – Transplant Surgeon, Canadian Armed Forces Combat Surgeon, and Professor