A Piece of Me in Heaven

WELCOME TO SEASON 5! In this episode, host Candice Coghlan was joined by Vanessa Tait, a Cree woman from O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation who put her heart and soul into supporting her father, Kenneth, through his kidney health journey. She uprooted their lives to move from her father's home community of O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, over 700km north of Winnipeg, to the city to access dialysis, as there were no hemodialysis machines and no capacity to do home dialysis, with the lack of access to large amounts of water needed. While in Winnipeg, Vanessa was his primary caregiver. We spoke about their journey together, the medical barriers they and many other First Nations patients face, and the decision for Vanessa to give the gift of life, a kidney to her father, despite his chances of survival being long so he could live his days out in community, surrounded by loved ones. 

We were later joined by Dr. Michael Anderson from the Urban Indigenous Community in Toronto. He is Mohawk Bear Clan and mixed European with family roots in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. He practices surgical oncology in palliative care medicine and is the strategic lead for Indigenous Health at the University Health Network. We spoke about ethical Indigenous community healthcare research partnerships, grief, healing, and Indigenous conceptualizations of death and dying.

This episode is dedicated, in loving memory to Vanessa's "daddio", Kenneth. The views and opinions expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General or University Health Network. 

Have questions? Comments? Ideas for an episode? Please reach out to the Centre for Living Organ Donation at livingorgandonation@uhn.ca

Thanks for spending your time with us.

*** CONTENT WARNING***  A note to our listeners, this episode comes with a content warning as we discuss death, dying, and palliative care. We also discuss barriers to care for Indigenous communities. This is simply to empower you, our audience, with the knowledge that you may need to make healthy decisions about how or if you should consume this podcast content.  If you need resources or support, you can visit the Hope for Wellness helpline, which offers immediate help to all Indigenous people across Canada, available 24/7 with immediate support and crisis intervention. You can call the toll free helpline at 1 855 242 3310, or you can connect to the online chat at hopeforwellness.ca. You can also reach out to the Bereaved Families of Ontario Organization at www.bereavedfamilies.net or call them at 416 440 0290.  

For more information about the UHN Indigenous Health Program, please visit: https://uhnfoundation.ca/stories/fostering-a-healthier-relationship-to-improve-access-to-high-quality-care-for-indigenous-communities/ 

To watch Vanessa Tait's documentary, Gift to Give please visit: https://gem.cbc.ca/gift-to-give/s01 

To watch Vanessa Tait's Great Actions Leave a Mark interview, please visit: www.greatactions.ca 

To learn more about living kidney donation, please visit: https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Living_Donor_Program/Pages/living_kidney_donor.aspx