Page 10 - UHN Year In Review 2014-15: Patients As Partners In Care
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Multi-Organ Transplant
Giving the gift of life to a stranger
Watching her sister Carolyn, (L), thrive after donor surgery, Annemieke Vanneste decided to donate her kidney
anonymously.Watch their story. (Video: UHNToronto YouTube)
Six weeks after donating her kidney steadily growing weaker and sicker Dr. Anand Ghanekar is co-director
to someone she will never meet, until she received a new kidney of the Kidney Transplant Program
Annemieke Vanneste was already from Carolyn. at UHN, which is the largest living
snowshoeing in the woods of the kidney donor program in Canada.
Gatineau Hills and planning her next “I saw how that donation It performs about 80 living donor
winter outdoor adventures. transformed her life. She does not transplants a year, and regularly
have to wonder if she will be alive exceeds accepted American bench-
“Donating an organ has made me next year,” Annemieke says. She also marks for one-year and 10-year
a happier person,” Annemieke says. talks about how Carolyn’s husband survival rates of recipients.
“Once you do this, you realize what received a life-saving liver transplant
a gift it is to donate. I won’t ever 16 years ago, and the many Dr. Ghanekar has evaluated many
know who received my kidney but recipients she has met through the living donors and calls them heroes.
that does not matter because I know transplant community. “Their generosity helps those in need
that I changed that person’s life.” of a transplant who otherwise might
“I know that transplants work,” have to wait much longer, or not
Annemieke, 53, and her sister, Annemieke says. “I have seen receive one, because there is
Carolyn Vanneste, 47, both under- recipients do remarkable things — not enough organs for everyone
stand how vital organ donation is. travel, compete in athletic games, who needs one,” Dr. Ghanekar says.
Carolyn donated one of her own win medals, and set goals for the “We are very grateful to living and
kidneys to a friend a few months future — something which they deceased donors. They have the
before Annemieke chose to donate can believe in again because of power to change many lives.
anonymously. That friend, who had the gift of donation.”
been on dialysis for seven years, was Link to full story: click here.
10 Patients as Partners in Care
