Helene Goldberg has always believed in the ripple effect, how a seemingly small action can turn into a big impact. Helene is the perfect example of this phenomenon – what started with her happening upon an article in a newspaper ended with her saving a life.
Earlier this year, Helene donated a portion of her liver to save the life of a baby in need of a liver transplant. For Helene, it was the culmination of a multi-year journey that brought her into the incredible world of living organ donation.
Now, she’s running with UHN Foundation’s team in the Constantine Yorkville Run, raising funds to help connect more people with life-saving care and living organ donation.
A commitment to giving back through living donation
Helene’s journey with living donation began in January 2023 when she received a flyer from a non-profit that supports living kidney donors. She considered the possibility. “Why not?”, she thought, and despite some initial feelings of nervousness, she signed up to undergo screening as a donor.
After several months of testing, she was matched with a recipient and just needed to go through one last test: a CT scan.
She was devastated when she got the bad news: she was disqualified and couldn’t donate. Helene felt terrible for the person who she had hoped to donate to.
It seemed like the end of her attempt to make a difference as a living donor. But a year later, she happened upon a newspaper article about Kevin Gosling, the first non-directed living liver donor in Canada, whose incredible transplant occurred at UHN. In 2005, Kevin donated a portion of his liver to an anonymous recipient, opening the door for other driven, altruistic people to save lives through living organ donation. Anonymous (or non-directed) living liver donors apply to donate with no intended recipient, and leave it to the transplant team to choose the recipient who needs it most.
Kevin’s actions changed the landscape of living liver donation – since his operation at Toronto General Hospital, anonymous donation now represents 15 per cent of all living donor transplants performed at Toronto General Hospital’s Ajmera Transplant Centre. The program has since performed more than 150 non-directed living liver donor transplants – a powerful testament to the generosity of these individuals – and the most of anywhere in the world.
“Things happen for a reason,” Helene says – it felt like she was meant to read that article, and she came away feeling inspired. Whereas previously the thought of liver donation had seemed unattainable, reading about Kevin’s experience and his courage made it seem possible for her.
A life-changing application
Helene has had three knee surgeries in the past, so she wasn’t afraid of undergoing surgery, and she believed she had an opportunity to do something important. Her husband and two sons were very supportive as Helene went ahead with submitting her medical history form.
A few weeks later, she got the call from UHN. She came in for a meeting with Dr. Nazia Selzner, Lead for the Centre for Living Organ Donation, and Medical Director for Live Donor Liver Transplantation, and Dr. Mark Cattral, Surgical Director of the Living Donor Liver Transplant Program, who walked her through every step of the process. They asked her why she wanted to do this, and once again the same answer came to Helene: “Why not?”
This time, Helene passed every test without a hitch. She was matched with a baby who had a genetic disorder and needed a liver transplant.
With the surgery date approaching, she felt some trepidation, but more than that she was filled with excitement that with this decision, she could positively impact the lives of another family. Nothing could stop her in her commitment to save a life through organ donation. Helene says, “The baby needed something, and it would be selfish to let fear hold me back.”
A successful surgery
Between her family, her transplant team at UHN and the many friends and community members stopping by to support her and drop off meals, Helene had an incredible team behind her when the big day arrived.
She recalls how prepared she felt, with a clear plan in place and lots of support. She appreciated knowing exactly what to expect in the hospital and throughout her recovery. Dr. Anand Ghanekar, transplant surgeon and Co-Director of the Kidney Transplant Program, explained everything in detail, helping her feel at ease. Her whole team was compassionate; Helene remembers the comfort she got from her nurse holding her hand.
While Helene doesn’t know the identity of the baby who received the transplant, she was happy to learn that the transplant was a success and the baby was doing well. Above all, she felt an enormous joy knowing that she had helped a family in need. “I’d do it again in a second,” she says.
Helene displays her surgical scar with pride. “It’s like a badge of honour,” Helene says. In fact, she has started wearing a bikini again when swimming, because she uses the questions her scar prompts to spread the word about living organ donation.
Leading the charge to fund life-saving care in the Constantine Yorkville Run
Helene’s dedication to life-saving care didn’t end with her surgery. Now, she’s giving back in another way: by participating in the Constantine Yorkville Run in support of UHN Foundation. This 5km run through the heart of Toronto is a way to raise important funds that will support UHN’s Centre for Living Organ Donation. The Centre for Living Organ Donation is the first centre of its kind in the world, and was a vital resource for Helene in her journey as a living donor with UHN. The Centre helps people in need of transplants find living donors, supports living donors in their journey to donate, provides advocacy and education about living organ donation – and so much more.
The funds raised through the Constantine Yorkville Run will help more people access the Centre for Living Organ Donation’s resources and get connected with a life-saving living donor transplant.
Reflecting on the life-saving power of living donors
Being a living liver donor was an incredible experience for Helene, and it’s one that has come full circle. She has since spoken with Kevin and Elizabeth Payne, the journalist who wrote the article that inspired her to give, to let them know the impact they had on her own decision to become a living donor.
Now, by sharing her story and raising awareness about living donation, she hopes to continue that ripple effect further. Every person inspired to become a living donor could have the power to save a life – and change their own for the better.
No one ever changed the world on their own but when the bright minds at UHN work together with donors we can redefine the world of health care together.
