My Transplant Coach Canada
Welcome to My Transplant Coach Canada
My Transplant Coach Canada is an online, video-based decision aid for patients with kidney failure. It uses animated videos to help Canadian patients understand what treatment options are available, so they can make informed decisions that are right for them.
Meet Tracy, your new transplant coach.
Your animated transplant coach, Tracy, explains the risks and benefits of kidney transplant vs. dialysis, the types of deceased donor kidneys available and the benefits and risks of each type, and the benefits and risks of living donor kidney transplant. She also discusses why people choose to get a transplant, or choose to donate a kidney, and addresses some common myths and questions about kidney transplants.
Twelve video chapters make up My Transplant Coach Canada. It takes about 30 minutes to complete. You can stop at any time and restart at a time that is convenient for you.
My Transplant Coach: Chapter summaries
Chapter 1: Introduction
Meet Tracy. Tracy will help you learn more about treatment options for kidney failure.
Chapter 2: Transplant
Tracy talks about how transplant works and who it may benefit.
Chapter 3: Living donor transplant
Tracy explains how living donor kidney transplant works.
Chapter 4: Deceased donor transplant
Tracy explains how deceased donor transplant works. If you are eligible for a kidney transplant, you may also be listed on the waitlist for a deceased donor kidney transplant.
Chapter 5: Deciding what's right for me
Tracy explains how to find information that will help you make a decision about transplant. Many patients do not know which transplant centres are close by, so we have included a map of them, which shows all of the transplant centres in Canada.
Visit blood.ca/livingdonationprograms to find the contact information for a centre near you.
Chapter 6: Deciding what's right for you
Tracy introduces us to James who is interested in having a kidney transplant and has been approved as a kidney transplant candidate.
Chapter 7: How long will I wait for transplant?
Tracy explains how long a candidate may wait for a transplant. Be sure to share the information you learn in these videos with your doctor and ask about your treatment options.
Chapter 8: Getting a transplant sooner
From the chapters you've already watched, you can see that there may be a lot of different treatment options you can choose. While we would all like the perfect kidney, often any kidney is better than staying on dialysis for years. The sooner someone gets a transplant, the better.
Chapter 9: Getting the word out
If you’re open to getting a living donor transplant, it’s important to tell other people that you have kidney disease and are interested in getting a kidney transplant from someone who has died or from a living donor. Tracy shares how some people have shared their need for transplant with other.
Chapter 10: Kidney paired donation
Sometimes a transplant candidate finds a willing living kidney donor but they are not a good match for some reason. That's ok! Canadian Blood Services manages and operates the Kidney Paired Donation program for Canada. The program makes it possible for each living kidney donor to help up to 6 kidney patients. Tracy explains how this works.
Chapter 11: Next steps
Tracy explains what to do next if you are interested in finding out if transplant is right for you.
Chapter 12: Congratulations!
Tracy congratulates you on completing My Transplant Coach Canada. We hope you learned more about kidney disease treatment options. If you’re interested in finding out if you are a candidate for a transplant, talk to your kidney doctor. To learn even more, visit blood.ca/organs-tissues.
Continue your learning journey with My Paired Donation Coach Canada.
About My Transplant Coach Canada
My Transplant Coach Canada video chapters contain educational information and does not provide medical advice. The information is not a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a doctor, and does not replace a doctor’s independent judgment about the right care for you based on your specific clinical circumstances. For medical advice about your own situation, ask a health care professional.
My Transplant Coach Canada is part of an international collaboration among the following organizations:
- Canadian Blood Services is a non-profit charitable organization. Our role in Canada is to focus on life essentials for transfusion and transplantation, including blood, plasma, stem cells, and organs and tissues.
- UCLA Transplant Research and Education Center (TREC) designs and conducts research and educational interventions about kidney disease, transplant, and living donation. Visit exploretransplant.org
- Health Literacy Media (HLM) specializes in improving health literacy through clear communication trainings, plain language messaging and design, audience research, content development, and active interventions within underserved communities.
Continue your learning journey with My Paired Donation Coach Canada.
Canadian Blood Services' role in Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation
Canadian Blood Services works with the Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation (OTDT) community to improve national system performance. We do this through the development of leading practices, professional education, public awareness and data analysis and reporting. We also manage clinical programs that support interprovincial sharing of organs.