Never Lose Hope: Jess Bailey on Community, Dragon Boats and the Gift of Life

Growing up with kidney disease can feel isolating, but as this episode reminds us, you are never alone. In this episode of the Living Transplant Podcast, host Candice Coghlan sits down with longtime friend, advocate, transplant recipient and dragon boat coach Jess Bailey. Diagnosed with kidney disease as a child, Jess shares what it was like navigating school, friendships, dialysis and two kidney transplants while learning to embrace being different. Jess opens up about the realities of life after transplant, why a transplant is "a long-term temporary solution," and how community, peer support and sport have helped shape her journey. Together, Candice and Jess discuss the power of the Kidney Paired Donation Program, the importance of living donation, and the incredible impact that nurses, healthcare teams and fellow transplant recipients can have along the way. The conversation also explores the Transplant Games, dragon boating, survivor's guilt, adapting to dialysis, and why hope remains at the heart of the transplant community. Whether you're living with kidney disease, waiting for a transplant, supporting someone you love, or simply curious about organ donation, this episode is a reminder that there is always a community ready to welcome you. In This Episode Growing up with kidney disease and dialysis Navigating childhood and high school while feeling "different" Receiving a first kidney transplant as a child that lasted nearly 24 years Life after transplant and managing lifelong medications Why transplant is not a cure Finding belonging through dragon boating and the Transplant Games The importance of peer support and patient communities Advice for newly diagnosed kidney patients Understanding the Kidney Paired Donation Program The generosity of living organ donors Hope for the future of transplantation and medical innovation Gratitude for healthcare teams and transplant nurses Links Learn more about living organ donation: www.livingorgandonation.ca (http://www.livingorgandonation.ca)   Living Organ Donation at UHN: UHN Ajmera Transplant Centre (https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Kidney_...) Information Sessions for potential donors: givelifeuhn.eventbrite.ca (http://givelifeuhn.eventbrite.ca)   Becoming a living donor: https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Pages/b... Kidney Foundation of Canada: https://kidney.ca/  Kidney Paired Donation Program: https://blood.ca/en/organs-tissues/li... Canadian Transplant Association and the Canadian Transplant Games: https://www.canadiantransplant.com   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 board member for the National Kidney Foundation 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 (https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Living_...) Centre for Living Organ Donation (https://www.uhn.ca/Transplant/Living_...) at [email protected]. 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.