What Happens When a Childhood transplant Recipient Grows Up?

In this episode of The Journey Continues, hosts Monica Fox and Sara Jane Charles welcome Christine McQueen, mother of a pediatric kidney transplant recipient and illustrator of the children’s book Keep Those Kidneys Happy with Sadie Tucker. McQueen reflects on guiding her daughter through transplant, navigating the transition from pediatric to adult care, and turning the family’s journey into a story for children. The episode also honors John Lefferts, whose gift of life touched 37 lives, in the Donor Spotlight.

In this episode of The Journey Continues, hosts Monica Fox and Sara Jane Charles speak with Jackie Burgess-Bishop, FACHE, who recently retired as CEO of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. Burgess-Bishop reflects on her path from studying biology at Northwestern to leading the organization, the obstacles she faced as a woman in STEM, and how patient education and access to care evolved over her seven years at NKFI. The episode also honors donor Dylan Richardson in the Donor Spotlight and previews NKFI's Kidney Connections series and its annual event for the chronic kidney disease and transplant community.

In this episode of The Journey Continues, hosts Monica Fox and Sara Jane Charles speak with cinematographer, editor, and transplant recipient Ceira Ostberg, who learned her kidneys were failing after a trip to urgent care and reflects on facing kidney failure while young and healthy. The episode also honors Jaime Acevedo-Lule, whose five donated organs and dozens of tissue gifts reached families across the country.

In this episode of The Journey Continues, hosts Monica Fox and Sara Jane Charles speak with renal transplant coordinator Anita Pakrasi and living kidney donor Dan O'Connell for an inside look at the living donation process. The conversation examines what moves someone to become a living donor and the experiences of those involved in donation and transplantation.

In this episode of The Journey Continues, hosts Monica Fox and Sara Jane Charles speak with Cyndi and Frank Grobmeier, President and Executive Director of The Maddog Strong Foundation, about their daughter Maddie "Maddog" Grobmeier, a decorated gymnast and Division I scholarship athlete. They discuss how Maddie's decision to become an organ donor saved and improved countless lives and led the family to establish a foundation dedicated to educating the next generation of donation advocates.

In this episode of The Journey Continues, hosts Sara Jane Charles and Monica Fox are joined by Marion Shuck, who recounts the sudden loss of her husband, Reggie, and her subsequent decision to become a living kidney donor for her brother, along with a discussion addressing common myths and facts about organ donation.

In this episode of The Journey Continues, hosts Sara Jane Charles and Monica Fox explore the personal stories behind kidney donation and life after transplant, bringing the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois's podcast to television for the first time. The program examines the motivations of those who donate to strangers and the experiences of transplant recipients.