Sonia went into the hospital expecting to have her heart valve replaced. She planned to return to her teaching job just two weeks later. But when her heart could no longer keep up after surgery, what began as a routine procedure quickly became a fight for her life. Within months, Sonia was facing heart failure, failing lungs, and the need for a heart and double lung transplant.
In this episode, Candice sits down with Sonia to explore her extraordinary journey through months in hospital, the uncertainty of waiting for a life-saving transplant, and the emotional toll of facing a future she never imagined. Sonia shares what it was like to learn that she needed not one, but three new organs, and how she grappled with fear, grief, and the possibility that she might not survive.
As the months in hospital passed, Sonia began to find ways to reconnect with herself. Through sewing, crafting, decorating her hospital room, and creating moments of comfort, she found ways to hold on to her identity beyond being a patient. With the support of her family, friends, healthcare team, and an incredible hospital wedding, Sonia discovered what kept her fighting: love, connection, and the determination to live the years her mother and sister never had the chance to experience.
Sonia also speaks candidly about life after transplant, including the trauma that can linger long after surgery, the nightmares and emotional challenges of recovery, and the difficulty of finding a community of people who truly understand what she has experienced. As a patient advocate, her journey has deepened her belief that support, connection, and being heard are essential parts of healing.
This is a conversation about more than survival. It is about rebuilding an identity when illness takes so much away, learning to live with the lasting effects of medical trauma, and finding hope even when the future feels uncertain. Sonia reminds us that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we can find meaning in the people we love, the experiences we share, and the chapters still waiting to be written.
Links and Resources
Click here for more information about living organ donation.
Click here for more information about living kidney donation
Click here for more information about living liver donation
Click here for information Sessions for potential donors
Click here to learn more about the Kidney Foundation’s Peer Support Program
Click here for mental health support from Canadian Mental Health Association
Connect with the Podcast or Learn More About Organ Donation
Each episode, we share patient stories about organ donation from transplant recipients and living donors, along with insights and education from leading medical experts. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, a donor, or simply curious about the world of organ transplantation, you’ll hear expert advice and inspiring journeys of hope, resilience, and second chances.
About our Host
Candice Coghlan is the Education & Outreach Coordinator at the Centre for Living Organ Donation at the UHN Ajmera Transplant Centre. She is also a National Board Member for the Kidney Foundation of Canada and a kidney transplant recipient. After she was diagnosed with kidney failure in her early 20s, she was on dialysis until receiving a transplant from her mother.
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.
The views and opinions expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toronto General or University Health Network.
