Good Nerdy Fun Living Transplant

Courtney and Brittany sit down with living liver donor, Melissa Sidhu to talk research ethics, biliary atresia, and the privilege of good health. With honesty and humour, Melissa talks about her brother’s reluctance to accept her as a donor, her fear of post-donation depression, and the challenges of having a mother who knows too much about surgery. Warning: This episode contains excessive laughter.  

This episode is dedicated to Dr. Gary Levy, whose tireless efforts have saved countless lives, Dr. Les Liy for being my brother's keeper, Dr. Mark Cattral for saving my brother’s life, my transplant coordinator Julie Vicencio, who carried me through the entire donor process, and of course, in memory of Dr. Ronald Heslegrave, whose contribute to research and medical ethics will continue to serve humanity forever.  

In this episode  

Man donates part of his liver to stranger 

https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/news_research/2010/12/10/man_donates_part_of_his_liver_to_stranger.html#:~:text=Two%20sections%20of%20the%20left,sound%20physical%20and%20mental%20health. 

Tinzaparin is an anticoagulant. It works by blocking certain natural substances in the blood that cause clotting. 

Living Donor Circle of Excellence Program 

The financial hardships associated with living organ donation still remain to be a major disincentive for many donors. Although there are initiatives and programs to compensate for some out-of-pocket expenses, most employers haven't established policies to provide coverage for lost wages. CST's Living Donor Circle of Excellence in collaboration with the American Society of Transplantation aims to eliminate the financial costs of living organ donation by recognizing companies who support living donation through providing lost wages. Read more: https://www.cst-transplant.ca/circle-of-excellence.html