http://transplantambassadors.ca/, https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/renal-patient-and-donor-foundation/

Transplant Ambassador Program, 339 Windermere Road, London, ON (2025)

10/16/2025

🌟The Transplant Ambassador Program is proud to share and promote the short film: “A Big Ask?”🌟
The film opens with Krista Merkley, a kidney patient and transplant candidate with PKD. She discusses personal details about her kidney disease and the emotional journey she is taking in trying to find a living kidney donor.
The film also features Wency Leung, an undirected living kidney donor, who discusses her perspective on living organ donation and what that means to her.
The film sheds light on the significance of living organ donation and the importance of kidney patients sharing their stories and looking for a living donor. TAP’s Co-Founder Susan McKenzie states: “With so much misinformation in the public sphere, this short film highlights the issue [living kidney donation] in such an authentic way, it shows kidney patients and potential donors struggle to tease apart fact from fiction.” 💚
This short film was produced by FeltFilm and K4K Productions. To watch the full film, visit: https://youtu.be/z8mgP-q4N64?si=RSbxrOXUiAO13hVO

09/30/2025

🌟Transplant Ambassador Program Webinar Series Presents🌟:
Our next webinar is in 2 days, on October 2nd - we are so excited for this webinar on Genetic Kidney Disease and Transplant!
Dr. Dervla Connaughton will be joining us to discuss new research and provincial guidelines for testing. And we will have a panel of ambassadors sharing their stories with genetic kidney disease. You don’t want to miss this webinar!
It’s not too late RSVP by sending an email to webinarregistration@transplantambassadors.ca or calling 833-274-3740.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 2nd 2025
6:30pm-8:00pm EST
Join by Microsoft Teams or by phone
View previous TAP webinars at: https://transplantambassadors.ca/tap-webinar-series/

09/22/2025

🌟Transplant Ambassador Program Webinar Series🌟
Our next webinar is just around the corner (October 2nd), and TAP is super excited to have Dr. Dervla Connaughton join our TAP panelists for our topic on Genetic Kidney Disease & Transplant!
Don’t forget to RSVP for this exciting webinar by sending an email to webinarregistration@transplantambassadors.ca or by calling 833-274-3740 💚
When: Thursday October 2nd from 6:30pm-8:00pm
Where: join by Microsoft Teams or by phone
View previous TAP webinars at: https://transplantambassadors.ca/tap-webinar-series/

09/05/2025

🌟Transplant Ambassador Program Webinar Series Presents🌟:
Genetic Kidney Disease & Transplant
Do you have a genetic kidney disease? If so, this webinar is for you! Join us on October 2nd for our webinar where we will be discussing all of the new research and provincial guidelines for testing.
We are excited to have Dr. Dervla Connaughton provide us with an educational introduction before our panel of TAP ambassadors share their stories on their experiences with genetic kidney disease and transplantation. You won’t want to miss this webinar - RSVP today!
THURSDAY OCTOBER 2nd 2025
6:30pm-8:00pm EST
Join by Microsoft Teams or by phone
RSVP today by sending an email to webinarregistration@transplantambassadors.ca or by calling 1-833-274-3740
View previous TAP webinars at: https://transplantambassadors.ca/tap-webinar-series/

09/02/2025

🌟📢RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY📢🌟:
Researchers at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, are looking for parents or caregivers of children and youth (0–19 yrs) who live in Canada and have received a liver, kidney, or multi-organ transplant to complete an anonymous survey (10–15 min) on food access and well-being (Study #: Pro00144464).
All organ transplant families are welcome to participate, whether or not you experience food insecurity. Please take the survey here: https://redcap.ualberta.ca/surveys/?s=PKDX8DHEEMFJN9XK.
📧 For any questions, email Dr. Diana Mager at mager@ualberta.ca.

08/28/2025

🌟AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT: Caroline Powers🌟
Caroline is a kidney transplant recipient who had two transplants, one from a living donor (her husband, who’s also a TAP ambassador) in a domino transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland in 2009. Her second transplant was from an extended criteria deceased donor at LHSC in 2016.
For Caroline the most rewarding experience as a transplant ambassador is giving patients hope and accurate information to help reduce their fears. When Caroline was initially diagnosed with renal failure, both her son and daughter wanted to be living donors for her. She was adamant that she did not want them to be donors, frightened of the risk there might be for them. As it turned out she was incompatible with them both, and when a paired exchange presented itself, it was her husband, also incompatible, who was her partner in the transplant. Caroline’s initial transplant lasted seven years, and then because of rejection she found herself back on dialysis. This time she was fortunate enough to quickly find a deceased compatible donor in the highly sensitized patient program.
Prior to this, her daughter again voiced her desire to enter a paired exchange program to be her mother’s living donor. She wanted to give Caroline the gift of life so that her mom would still be there for her. Her daughter was evaluated and found to be a good candidate for living donation. They went together into the paired exchange program, but no suitable matching pair was found. It turned out to be a revelation for Caroline to recognize that she hadn’t considered her daughters feelings. As a parent, Caroline completely relates to the fear of accepting a donation from a child, and she offers a different perspective, one that her daughter helped her realize which is that denying your child the opportunity to save your life is robbing them of their autonomy.
Caroline is as a panelist in our webinar tonight, where she will be sharing more about her story & tips on protecting your mental health on the road to kidney transplant 💚

08/26/2025

🌟Transplant Ambassador Program Webinar Series🌟
We are very excited for our upcoming webinar this Thursday! Special guest Jane J.H Xiong, will be joining us for a brief presentation before our panel of ambassadors share their tips on protecting mental health on the road to kidney transplant.
Jane Xiong is a spiritual care practitioner and psychotherapist in Toronto with a background in medicine and a Master of Pastoral Studies in the Buddhist stream from Emmanuel College. She integrates Buddhist wisdom with Western psychology to support healing, resilience, and personal growth. Her work is rooted in compassion, mindfulness, and a holistic approach to well-being.
When: Thursday August 28th from 6:30pm-8:00pm
Where: join by Microsoft Teams or by phone
View previous TAP webinars at: https://transplantambassadors.ca/tap-webinar-series/

08/21/2025

🌟Transplant Ambassador Program Webinar Series🌟
Our next webinar is next Thursday! Are you registered yet?? If not, you can register by sending an email to webinarregistration@transplantambassadors.ca or by calling 1-833-274-3740.
A panel of Ambassadors will be sharing their stories and providing their best tips for managing your mental health on the road to kidney transplant. If you find yourself struggling to cope with dialysis, the symptoms that come with kidney failure, or feeling overwhelmed about needing a kidney transplant then this webinar is for you!
When: Thursday August 28th from 6:30pm-8:00pm
Where: join by Microsoft Teams or by phone
View previous TAP webinars at: https://transplantambassadors.ca/tap-webinar-series/

08/15/2025

🌟Transplant Ambassador Program Webinar Series🌟
Our next webinar is just a couple of weeks away! A panel of Ambassadors will be sharing their stories and providing their best tips for managing your mental health on the road to kidney transplant. If you find yourself struggling to cope with dialysis, the symptoms that come with kidney failure, or feeling overwhelmed about needing a kidney transplant then this webinar is for you!
If you have not yet registered for this webinar, you can do so by sending an email to: webinarregistration@transplantambassadors.ca
When: Thursday August 28th from 6:30pm-8:00pm
Where: join by Microsoft Teams or by phone
View previous TAP webinars at: https://transplantambassadors.ca/tap-webinar-series/

08/09/2025

🌟Transplant Ambassador Program Webinar Series Presents🌟:
Tips for Protecting Your Mental Health on the Road to Kidney Transplant
Having kidney disease, being on dialysis, and waiting for a kidney transplant are all challenging to cope with. Protecting your mental health on this journey is really important, but how do you do that? Join our panel of Ambassadors as they offer tips and share how they managed their mental health leading up to transplant.
With special guest Jane J.H. Xiong, R.P.
THURSDAY AUGUST 28th 2025
6:30pm-8:00pm EST
Join by Microsoft Teams or by phone
RSVP today by sending an email to webinarregistration@transplantambassadors.ca
View previous TAP webinars at: https://transplantambassadors.ca/tap-webinar-series/

08/04/2025

🌟AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT: Katie Elkins🌟
Katie donated a kidney to her mom, Liz, in September 2018 at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton. Liz, a Type 1 diabetic, had reached end-stage kidney failure and spent over a year on hemodialysis at Credit Valley Hospital.
Initially, a family member had hoped to donate, but when that option didn’t work out, Katie stepped forward. After attending an information session—much like the ones TAP hosts—she felt informed and reassured. At 31, she understood the surgery was significant, but the impact on her own life would be minimal compared to the life her mom could regain.
Katie recovered quickly, returning to work within two months. The following year, she competed in—and won—a provincial mountain bike race series. She’s also an avid cross-country skier, swimmer, and loves to rollerblade with her husband. Since donating, she’s gone on to become a mom of two and continues to live an active, full life.
As a TAP Ambassador, she shares her story to help ease fears and normalize living donation. One of her most meaningful connections was with a potential donor also considering giving to a parent. “Donating a kidney has only made my life richer,” Katie says. “I’m healthy, thriving, and grateful every day that my mom is too.” 💚

07/15/2025

🌟AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT: Ricardo Ramirez🌟
Ricardo donated a kidney to his brother-in-law in February 2023 at St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. He feels fortunate to have gone through the One-Day-Donor Clinic at St. Joe’s.
Prior to Ricardo’s surgery, he received very helpful advice from other ambassadors, and now that he is an ambassador himself, it’s a way to pay it forward to others. Ricardo finds great meaning in those few cases where there are multiple interactions with patients, allowing some rapport and witness their growing understanding and confidence about the transplant process.
Ricardo shares with us a Spanish quote: “Caminante no hay camino, se hace el camino an andar.” (English translation: “Walker: there is no path; you make the path as you walk”). The quote highlights how the transplant journey is unique for each donor and recipient.
📷: Kendra Pierroz, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton ( )AV Team.

Transplant Ambassador Program

10/16/2025

09/30/2025

09/22/2025

09/05/2025

09/02/2025

08/28/2025

08/26/2025

08/21/2025

08/15/2025

08/09/2025

08/04/2025

07/15/2025

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