WEBVTT - This file has cues. 00:00:00.030 --> 00:00:05.010 Hey, how's it going? You can be honest with me. 00:00:05.490 --> 00:00:06.990 This is a safe space. 00:00:12.270 --> 00:00:15.480 Have you heard of life quakes? Well, in this podcast, 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:18.900 we talk about life quakes, those unpredictable seismic shifts 00:00:18.900 --> 00:00:22.260 that in time, lead to profound personal growth and empowerment. 00:00:22.860 --> 00:00:25.590 Through this season, you can expect heartfelt conversations 00:00:25.590 --> 00:00:30.510 that reveal both the joy and discomfort of unexpected change. 00:00:31.530 --> 00:00:33.690 And I think you're going to like it here. 00:00:35.220 --> 00:00:38.400 My name is Sean, and this is something shifted. 00:00:44.910 --> 00:00:50.250 Today's story belongs to Tanya. Where I am now is being listed 00:00:50.250 --> 00:00:54.180 for my second double. I'm transplant. That's next. 00:01:02.470 --> 00:01:06.940 I lead a demanding lifestyle and I'm very guilty of wanting more for less, 00:01:06.940 --> 00:01:10.270 especially when it comes to food. I want to feel like I'm eating 00:01:10.270 --> 00:01:13.810 restaurant food, but I don't want to leave my house and I really don't 00:01:13.810 --> 00:01:17.110 want to organize a babysitter. I want to try new flavors, 00:01:17.110 --> 00:01:19.600 but I also don't want to spend money on ingredients that I 00:01:19.600 --> 00:01:22.900 might never use again. And let's be honest, I don't want to 00:01:22.900 --> 00:01:26.890 eat the same thing over and over, but I really don't have time to 00:01:26.890 --> 00:01:28.930 think about what we're going to eat for dinner every night. 00:01:29.170 --> 00:01:31.000 You know what I mean? Well, 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:34.120 you cook changed all of that for us. We choose what we want to eat. 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:36.100 And you cook delivers all of the ingredients, 00:01:36.100 --> 00:01:39.910 perfectly portioned right to my door. No more standing in queues to 00:01:39.910 --> 00:01:43.330 weigh my fresh produce. No more impulse buys sneaking 00:01:43.330 --> 00:01:47.200 their way into my trolley. You cook is always adding new recipes 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:50.650 to choose from, and I've even picked up some new skills thanks to 00:01:50.650 --> 00:01:54.340 those easy to follow recipe cards. And because you cook, gives you 00:01:54.340 --> 00:01:58.330 exactly what you need for each recipe. We never waste any food. 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:01.760 You cook has been an absolute game changer for us because 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:05.720 everything is just so simple. I love the convenience. 00:02:05.750 --> 00:02:09.470 I love the variety and the flexibility to go carb conscious 00:02:09.470 --> 00:02:12.230 meals for one week. And then when Ru's folks come to 00:02:12.230 --> 00:02:15.260 stay, we might switch to fan favorites or combine the two. 00:02:15.410 --> 00:02:19.130 The hardest part is deciding which of the meal kits to order every week, 00:02:19.130 --> 00:02:21.980 because everything on the website looks amazing. 00:02:21.980 --> 00:02:26.150 Meal kits, frozen Croft's desserts, weekend boxes, lunch boxes, pizza, 00:02:26.150 --> 00:02:31.970 wine they've got it all and you can have it all to go to your cookers and 00:02:31.970 --> 00:02:38.390 use my code hash shift 50 and get a whopping 50% off your first order. 00:02:38.510 --> 00:02:45.080 That's right shifters, go get it. That's Uk'otoa and use the code hash 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:49.400 shift 50 at checkout, exclusive to something shifted listeners 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:52.070 and get 50% off your first order. 00:03:01.130 --> 00:03:05.500 On average, we breathe in about 11,000l of air every day. 00:03:05.620 --> 00:03:09.370 That's a lot of breaths, especially considering that the 00:03:09.370 --> 00:03:12.850 average lung capacity for a healthy adult is about six litres. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:17.590 Air comes in, air grows out, oxygen is absorbed, 00:03:17.590 --> 00:03:22.060 carbon dioxide is released. This is the essence of breathing. 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:25.450 And most of us do this naturally without giving it a second thought. 00:03:26.740 --> 00:03:29.440 Did you know that by the time you celebrate your 25th birthday, 00:03:29.440 --> 00:03:33.640 your lungs have fully matured? And while lung capacity varies from 00:03:33.640 --> 00:03:38.440 person to person, a healthy adult will have at least 80% lung capacity. 00:03:38.980 --> 00:03:42.340 But sometimes a body doesn't develop along these milestones. 00:03:43.570 --> 00:03:47.260 Tanya has struggled to breathe since the day she was born. 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:51.850 And I was always in hospital. Panorama hospital was my second home. 00:03:51.850 --> 00:03:55.090 Literally, I would catch up with homework. 00:03:55.570 --> 00:03:59.110 Um, I'd go to school when I could. I would go to school with a 00:03:59.110 --> 00:04:03.380 nebulizer. I had this kind of a wheezing sound, 00:04:03.380 --> 00:04:06.980 like a hole. And your kids can be cruel. 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:11.210 I couldn't do sports, but my parents made it, 00:04:11.540 --> 00:04:16.220 made it very comfortable for me. Tanya suffered a meconium aspiration 00:04:16.220 --> 00:04:21.200 as a newborn and then multiple severe viral infections during childhood. 00:04:21.590 --> 00:04:25.370 This left her with a severe airflow limitation as well as 00:04:25.370 --> 00:04:29.180 chronic lung disease. She was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, 00:04:29.180 --> 00:04:34.880 obliterates, and essentially the narrowing of Tanya's airways just 00:04:34.880 --> 00:04:40.130 couldn't be reversed with medication. I didn't think I was different. 00:04:40.340 --> 00:04:43.850 I just realized that my friends could do more than what I could. 00:04:44.420 --> 00:04:47.000 I never really had what other kids had. 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:52.850 I could never run around or, um, experience what my my friends 00:04:52.850 --> 00:04:59.540 experienced. Tanya's parents did everything 00:04:59.540 --> 00:05:02.030 they could to help their three children along in times of 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:05.280 sickness and in health. And fortunately for Tanya, 00:05:05.310 --> 00:05:09.840 her mom was also a nursing sister. My mother kind of taught me how to 00:05:09.840 --> 00:05:12.960 deal with my with my condition. If it weren't for her, 00:05:12.960 --> 00:05:16.260 I don't think I would have been able to cope as well as what I have 00:05:16.440 --> 00:05:20.190 all these years with my disease. You know, although they are 00:05:20.190 --> 00:05:22.770 still amazing parents. Honestly, my mother never 00:05:22.770 --> 00:05:25.230 treated me any differently. We were all treated the same. 00:05:25.230 --> 00:05:28.140 My brother, my sister, myself, we were all treated the same. 00:05:28.140 --> 00:05:32.520 So I had a good childhood, I really did, but I do think 00:05:32.520 --> 00:05:35.520 sometimes I kind of looked at my brother or my sister and thought, 00:05:35.520 --> 00:05:37.620 sure, if they're going out tonight, I wish that was me. 00:05:37.830 --> 00:05:40.980 But you get used to it, you know, and you just get on with it. 00:05:41.340 --> 00:05:44.670 So that's what Tanya did. She just got on with it. 00:05:46.650 --> 00:05:50.250 Considering her diagnosis and years of health challenges, 00:05:50.250 --> 00:05:54.780 she got on with living her life, all the while believing that she 00:05:54.780 --> 00:05:58.920 wouldn't ever find love. That's until she met Sculk. 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:04.120 We were always told we couldn't have children. They got married in 2002. 00:06:04.630 --> 00:06:09.520 Because of violence. And then at one point I went to 00:06:09.520 --> 00:06:12.400 my doctor and I said to him, I need to have a child. 00:06:12.400 --> 00:06:14.440 I need as victor, Minnesotans would be spoken 00:06:14.440 --> 00:06:18.250 about this and I'm like, I know, but I think we should give it a go. 00:06:18.250 --> 00:06:20.140 And he's like, okay, I'll give you three months. 00:06:20.290 --> 00:06:23.860 And I fell pregnant within those three months. So it had to happen. 00:06:23.860 --> 00:06:29.230 I mean, it was definitely a miracle, yo, I was admitted at 26 weeks and 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:34.240 I lay on oxygen for seven weeks, and Daniela was 33 weeks. Prim. 00:06:34.390 --> 00:06:37.450 Um, and she was in ICU for about three and a half weeks. 00:06:38.200 --> 00:06:42.730 So, you know, it hasn't been easy, but it's a miracle from God. 00:06:42.730 --> 00:06:46.630 It's my gift. Um, and I'm very, very proud. 00:06:46.810 --> 00:06:52.090 In 2008, Tanya's dream of motherhood came true, and she continued 00:06:52.090 --> 00:06:56.500 getting on with life in spite of her decreasing lung capacity. 00:06:56.500 --> 00:06:59.560 I was used to battling. I was used to not having a lung 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:01.900 capacity that everybody else out there had. 00:07:01.900 --> 00:07:05.600 But there was a point after Daniel's birth that I was more in 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:11.000 hospital than out of hospital. And I remembered Doctor Johan Trehan. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:14.180 He's a Panorama pulmonologist. He came and sat down with Scott 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:18.200 myself and said, had we ever thought of a double lung transplant? 00:07:20.990 --> 00:07:25.310 By 2017, Tanya had only 14% lung capacity. 00:07:25.850 --> 00:07:29.780 Keep in mind that healthy adult lungs hold six liters of air, 00:07:29.780 --> 00:07:35.150 and at this stage, Tanya's lungs had a capacity of less than one liter. 00:07:40.580 --> 00:07:43.760 Since the early 1990s, more than 25,000 lung 00:07:43.760 --> 00:07:47.090 transplants have been performed at centers around the world, 00:07:47.090 --> 00:07:52.040 and almost 5000 lung transplants were performed globally in 2017 alone. 00:07:52.460 --> 00:07:56.330 But a double lung transplant had never been done in Africa. 00:07:57.290 --> 00:08:02.900 In February of 2017, Tanya's uncle passed away that same year. 00:08:02.940 --> 00:08:08.100 Just a few months later, her brother Mark died after a tragic accident. 00:08:08.760 --> 00:08:13.170 Can you imagine having to tell your family, who've already lost so much 00:08:13.170 --> 00:08:17.640 in the space of one year, that you need a bilateral lung transplant? 00:08:17.670 --> 00:08:22.230 And not only is this a high risk up, it'll be the first operation of its 00:08:22.230 --> 00:08:26.760 kind to be carried out in a state hospital on the African continent. 00:08:26.880 --> 00:08:31.050 We had so much to process because we had to talk to my parents. 00:08:31.050 --> 00:08:34.590 We had to talk to Daniella. She was only nine at the time. 00:08:34.590 --> 00:08:38.640 We had to talk to Scope's parents. We came home, we Google it like, 00:08:38.640 --> 00:08:42.810 you know, we all do. And the chances are and like 00:08:42.810 --> 00:08:47.130 Greg told us, with double and transplantation, it's a 5050. 00:08:48.060 --> 00:08:52.200 But I knew that I had to fight for my family, and I needed to 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:55.020 fight for my little girl. Um, 00:08:55.020 --> 00:08:58.650 and I needed to fight for my hubby. And lastly, I really needed to 00:08:58.650 --> 00:09:02.820 fight for my parents. And that was my only alternative. 00:09:02.820 --> 00:09:05.120 That was my only option. That's all I could do. 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:09.980 Transplant operations are always high risk and come with long 00:09:09.980 --> 00:09:14.060 term consequences. But thankfully, Tanya's double 00:09:14.060 --> 00:09:18.020 lung transplant went well. I, for the first time, 00:09:18.020 --> 00:09:23.450 had a lung capacity of 85%. So from 14% when I had my 00:09:23.450 --> 00:09:28.100 transplant to post-transplant 85%, I thought this was amazing. 00:09:28.340 --> 00:09:31.790 I couldn't believe this is how you people could breathe, and also the 00:09:31.790 --> 00:09:35.330 fact that you could actually do things and not get short of breath. 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:40.160 That for me was pure. It was amazing. Um, and I looked at my hubby and I 00:09:40.160 --> 00:09:44.060 said to him, I don't ever want to go into rejection because I don't 00:09:44.060 --> 00:09:47.690 ever want to go back to where I was. And so Tanya got on with living 00:09:47.690 --> 00:09:52.520 life with lungs full of air. I could stand on the side of the 00:09:52.520 --> 00:09:57.620 astro and shout and cheer and, um, some of the parents would 00:09:57.620 --> 00:10:00.200 actually say, sure, here's the mum with the big lungs. 00:10:00.350 --> 00:10:03.810 And I'd actually smile because it's the first time that people 00:10:03.810 --> 00:10:06.840 could actually hear me, um, shout and scream. 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:11.580 And I was able to be a wife to my husband, which I always felt 00:10:11.580 --> 00:10:14.580 I could never do 100%. Um, 00:10:14.580 --> 00:10:18.090 I could be a daughter to my parents. I if they were sick, 00:10:18.090 --> 00:10:21.480 I could help them out. I could go out with friends and 00:10:21.480 --> 00:10:24.420 not worry about of moving sick. Because if I get sick, 00:10:24.420 --> 00:10:28.230 Milan functions dropping. The thing about life is there 00:10:28.230 --> 00:10:32.070 are no guarantees you might survive one life, quake, 00:10:32.070 --> 00:10:36.270 rebuild and get on with it. But that doesn't protect your 00:10:36.270 --> 00:10:39.960 foundations from being shaken to the core again. 00:10:40.410 --> 00:10:44.310 I fell sick and when I got to the hospital and I sat in front 00:10:44.310 --> 00:10:48.150 of the doctor and I said to him, I can't breathe, I need oxygen. 00:10:49.590 --> 00:10:54.090 In December of 2023, after six years of big, deep, 00:10:54.090 --> 00:10:57.810 life affirming breaths. Tanya's biggest fear became a 00:10:57.810 --> 00:11:00.630 reality. She was diagnosed with chronic 00:11:00.630 --> 00:11:04.630 rejection and at the time of this recording in 2024, 00:11:04.630 --> 00:11:07.840 she's on the waiting list for her second double lung transplant. 00:11:16.810 --> 00:11:20.980 Join my mailing list 321 shift for inspiration and motivation straight 00:11:20.980 --> 00:11:24.520 to your inbox, and you can find me on Instagram at Sean Lewis. 00:11:24.730 --> 00:11:28.270 Remember to share this episode with someone you love and follow something 00:11:28.270 --> 00:11:32.440 shifted on your favorite podcast player. Okay, back to the story. 00:11:36.700 --> 00:11:40.300 We all love a feel good story of overcoming a challenge. 00:11:40.330 --> 00:11:44.470 We want the battle to be won. Our hero deserves a break. 00:11:44.680 --> 00:11:48.100 But after beating her life threatening illness, Tanya needs 00:11:48.100 --> 00:11:52.900 to get back into the ring, raise her gloves and fight another round. 00:11:53.800 --> 00:11:58.540 Two years after my first transplant, I was able to climb Lion's Head and I 00:11:58.540 --> 00:12:02.680 was smiling from ear to ear. Like me. For now, I'm sitting here, 00:12:02.680 --> 00:12:06.110 so I'm breathing very nicely, but the minute I start moving 00:12:06.110 --> 00:12:10.910 around I get very short of breath. Yesterday, hubby was out on a meeting 00:12:10.910 --> 00:12:14.480 and I had to bring in a package and I battled just to get the package 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:18.230 from my front door to my kitchen and I was completely out of it. 00:12:18.230 --> 00:12:20.630 And I'm going to I'm going to be very honest with you. 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:24.590 I took breathing also for granted when I had my transplant 00:12:25.280 --> 00:12:28.100 because I was breathing. I couldn't believe the way I was 00:12:28.100 --> 00:12:31.130 breathing. And now all of a sudden I realized, 00:12:31.130 --> 00:12:34.070 sure. Um, even someone like me that 00:12:34.070 --> 00:12:37.580 sparkled before took it for granted. So I can understand why people 00:12:37.580 --> 00:12:41.390 do take it for granted. Dealing with a chronic illness 00:12:41.390 --> 00:12:44.630 is never easy. Any hospital visit, 00:12:44.630 --> 00:12:48.590 even for a scheduled procedure, is a major stressor and 00:12:48.590 --> 00:12:52.940 completely disrupts your life. Now, I imagine not knowing when 00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:56.930 this quake is going to hit you. Tanya learned this during her 00:12:56.930 --> 00:13:02.600 first transplant. You can get that call at any moment. 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:06.930 So I think when you see the doctor's number come up on your phone, 00:13:07.020 --> 00:13:10.350 you kind of know what that call's all about. 00:13:10.800 --> 00:13:14.130 I got the call on a Sunday afternoon, and I was told I had two hours 00:13:14.130 --> 00:13:16.980 to get to the hospital. So you you don't really have 00:13:16.980 --> 00:13:18.900 much time to process it. Um, 00:13:18.900 --> 00:13:23.910 and it's a very emotional feeling. Um, I to for my parents, 00:13:24.900 --> 00:13:29.550 I different schools parents. My parents came down to my house 00:13:29.790 --> 00:13:34.380 and helped me pack and we, uh, went to the school. 00:13:34.860 --> 00:13:38.700 My, um, organ donor was on a ventilator. 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:42.900 So I was actually very lucky in the fact that I had time to 00:13:42.900 --> 00:13:46.050 prepare myself in the hospital. When I got there, the doctors had 00:13:46.050 --> 00:13:50.520 time to explain everything to us again, explain everything to 00:13:50.520 --> 00:13:55.200 Daniella and my parents and skulk. But it could happen. 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:59.220 And it's obviously happened to a lot of people that it happens 00:13:59.220 --> 00:14:02.640 within the first six hours of that phone call, because lungs 00:14:02.640 --> 00:14:06.280 can only be on ice for six hours. After that, they battled to 00:14:06.280 --> 00:14:09.340 start functioning again. Once you know they transplant. 00:14:10.180 --> 00:14:15.460 Quite a few have passed away due to rejection complications after 00:14:15.460 --> 00:14:21.130 surgery. You know, at like Prof. Greg Caligari always tells us 00:14:21.460 --> 00:14:25.270 and they have to be so upfront. They have to be they have to be 00:14:25.270 --> 00:14:27.610 honest with you and they have to tell you like it is. 00:14:27.730 --> 00:14:32.320 There's a 5050 chance. So you know that when you go in 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:34.750 for the surgery, but it's still a big shock. 00:14:34.750 --> 00:14:40.690 I mean, when I was told I have chronic rejection, although Greg has 00:14:40.690 --> 00:14:46.150 warned us some you don't want to go through as a transplant patient. 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:54.460 Tanya finds herself back in this weird waiting room, 00:14:54.670 --> 00:14:58.900 waiting for that life changing call. That call that always means 00:14:58.900 --> 00:15:01.420 another family has suffered a tremendous loss. 00:15:02.020 --> 00:15:06.870 And Tanya also knows the pain of that loss Well, because when her brother 00:15:06.870 --> 00:15:12.060 passed away in 2017, they honored his decision as an organ donor. 00:15:12.810 --> 00:15:15.480 I wouldn't be able to sit here today with you and discuss it if 00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:19.440 it wasn't for my organ donor. For a woman that's given a 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:22.140 selfish gift. She doesn't know me from a bar 00:15:22.140 --> 00:15:26.340 of soap, but she has given me the best gift ever. 00:15:26.730 --> 00:15:30.150 And I think that's why I really go out there and try and just 00:15:30.150 --> 00:15:32.640 help people understand about organ donor awareness. 00:15:32.640 --> 00:15:37.080 And I know it's a very sensitive topic because a lot of people will be 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:43.110 like, oh no, I'm not going to let them cut up my loved ones body or but 00:15:43.110 --> 00:15:47.460 they do it in such a dignified way. And I really I can vouch for 00:15:47.460 --> 00:15:51.330 that because my brother was an organ donor. 00:15:51.630 --> 00:15:58.770 I, I think I just needed comfort, I needed closure, I needed to 00:15:58.770 --> 00:16:02.790 see his body once he passed. And unfortunately, 00:16:02.790 --> 00:16:05.800 with the way monkey fell, he couldn't give any organs. 00:16:06.700 --> 00:16:10.390 Um, so he was able to donate tissue, but he was able to help 26 00:16:10.390 --> 00:16:13.930 people by just giving tissue. Tissue meaning heart valves, 00:16:13.930 --> 00:16:19.090 skin, corneas, tendons, muscle. And when I saw him, Sean, 00:16:19.690 --> 00:16:22.120 they had already taken what they could from above. 00:16:22.870 --> 00:16:28.030 It looked as though he was just asleep. You know, this perfect being. 00:16:28.030 --> 00:16:30.970 Just sleeping. So that's why I can really, honestly 00:16:30.970 --> 00:16:36.820 say that they do it in a really respectful and dignified manner. 00:16:37.090 --> 00:16:39.730 Um, it's not what people think about cutting up the body. 00:16:39.730 --> 00:16:45.040 It's not like that at all. You can help up to 50 people by 00:16:45.040 --> 00:16:49.570 just giving tissue, and you can save up to seven people, 00:16:49.570 --> 00:16:53.560 but just donate the organs. So I mean, it's lungs, it's pancreas, 00:16:53.560 --> 00:16:57.280 it's liver, it heart, it kidneys. And I mean, some of those, 00:16:57.280 --> 00:16:59.920 you know, kidneys your sibling could give you you know, 00:16:59.920 --> 00:17:04.270 you don't necessarily have to pause. I just think I've I've just got 00:17:04.270 --> 00:17:08.120 this passion that I just want people to know how amazing we as 00:17:08.120 --> 00:17:11.480 recipients find us. Um, and we just would like 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:14.510 people to think about it. Just think about it a little more. 00:17:15.170 --> 00:17:19.460 Tanya has used the gifts she's been given to pay it forward and 00:17:19.460 --> 00:17:22.610 help others who have to face the challenges of living with a 00:17:22.610 --> 00:17:27.740 transplant. The reason why I try and go out 00:17:27.740 --> 00:17:31.670 there and talk about organ donation, um, is because not enough is 00:17:31.670 --> 00:17:36.110 being said about organ donation. So much has been said about the 00:17:36.110 --> 00:17:40.220 blood drive. Um, nobody really knows what 00:17:40.220 --> 00:17:43.430 organ donation involves. Like I said, I know it's a sensitive 00:17:43.430 --> 00:17:50.000 subject. I really do know that. Um, and then I, I try and get 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.440 funding for healthcare, and I'm not doing that for the hospital. 00:17:54.530 --> 00:17:58.100 I'm doing it merely for the patients because we have a lot 00:17:58.100 --> 00:18:02.390 of expenses after surgery. We go see our doctor twice a 00:18:02.390 --> 00:18:06.360 week for the first month, and we have a blood test and 00:18:06.360 --> 00:18:11.910 probably every second or third day. Medication is insane, and I feel 00:18:11.910 --> 00:18:16.200 that when you've had such a big operation and you're lying in ICU, 00:18:16.320 --> 00:18:21.720 you need to fight, and the only way you're going to fight is if you 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:26.490 have your loved ones around you. So if I can get money in to fly 00:18:26.490 --> 00:18:30.420 those loved ones down from wherever they are to be with a person lying 00:18:30.420 --> 00:18:34.230 in ICU fighting for their life, then I think that's a huge 00:18:34.230 --> 00:18:36.810 accomplishment in itself. And then we need to find 00:18:36.810 --> 00:18:40.020 accommodation for those people. They need food. 00:18:40.350 --> 00:18:43.110 Um, and the patients after transplant as well. 00:18:43.110 --> 00:18:46.530 Like I say, we see the doctor twice a week for the first month. 00:18:46.530 --> 00:18:50.490 So those patients need accommodation. They need food. 00:18:50.520 --> 00:18:55.140 A lot of them can't go back to work. Um, because our immune systems 00:18:55.140 --> 00:18:59.040 are so compromised. The immune suppressants or hectic, 00:18:59.040 --> 00:19:01.950 um, we are medication for the rest of our lives. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:06.220 We have bloodstone every 3 to 4 weeks for the rest of our lives. 00:19:06.550 --> 00:19:12.010 So I try and raise funds for the kids heart and lung transplant 00:19:12.010 --> 00:19:15.400 unit for patients. I think because I've realized how 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:19.990 life changing it is to have a transplant, to be able to do things 00:19:20.080 --> 00:19:24.340 that I was never able to do before. And that's what's encouraging for me. 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:29.740 So while Tanya waits for a call, a call to say that they're ready 00:19:29.740 --> 00:19:33.190 to do another transplant, which comes with all the risks 00:19:33.190 --> 00:19:38.470 and the 50% survival rate, she's grateful for every single breath. 00:19:39.130 --> 00:19:46.750 I cannot thank my organ donor enough. Because this woman that I'm able 00:19:46.750 --> 00:19:52.630 to watch my daughter grow up and watch my family and be with my 00:19:52.630 --> 00:19:55.000 family every day. You know, I think a lot of people 00:19:55.000 --> 00:20:00.340 get up every morning and they take it for granted, but I don't 00:20:00.340 --> 00:20:06.050 I get up every morning and thank my woman donor and I, you know, 00:20:06.050 --> 00:20:11.270 we had to write a letter to our donor's families and say thank you. 00:20:13.460 --> 00:20:18.380 How do you think someone for losing a loved one so that you might be saved? 00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:20.360 And I think that was the hardest thing for me to do. 00:20:21.320 --> 00:20:25.760 Over and above the organ donation. Tanya also received the gift of 00:20:25.760 --> 00:20:29.960 watching her daughter grow up, and of all the experiences in her 00:20:29.960 --> 00:20:35.150 life, this is her greatest joy. I think every parent thinks the 00:20:35.150 --> 00:20:38.270 kid is amazing, but I really think I've got an 00:20:38.270 --> 00:20:44.990 amazing daughter. Um. She's 16. She's been through so much, yet she's 00:20:44.990 --> 00:20:49.880 still so resilient and she's got a heart of gold and she's empathetic. 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:53.180 And Sean, she's just been absolutely amazing 00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:56.780 with how she's handled everything. I think you know that that is my 00:20:56.780 --> 00:20:59.300 proudest thing in life is, is my daughter. 00:21:03.170 --> 00:21:06.610 My mom would always say to me, Tonya, don't get your illness 00:21:06.610 --> 00:21:10.570 define you as a person. Fight. And I've always fought. 00:21:15.490 --> 00:21:18.610 At the time of publishing. Tanya Bothma is still waiting to 00:21:18.610 --> 00:21:22.900 be matched with an organ donor. Tanya is currently raising money 00:21:22.900 --> 00:21:26.200 through back a buddy to support other transplant patients with increased 00:21:26.380 --> 00:21:30.460 need, and continue creating awareness around organ and tissue donation. 00:21:30.730 --> 00:21:33.970 You can support the work that Tanya is doing by visiting the 00:21:33.970 --> 00:21:37.300 back of Buddy page. The link is in the show notes. 00:21:39.280 --> 00:21:42.010 On the bottom of my lungs. A very big thank you. 00:21:45.670 --> 00:21:48.250 Thank you for listening to this episode of Something Shifted. 00:21:48.250 --> 00:21:52.810 And remember to use that code hash shift 50 at checkout when you place 00:21:52.810 --> 00:21:57.520 your first order with Uk'otoa. That's the hash symbol, 00:21:57.520 --> 00:22:04.300 followed by the word shift shift and the numerals five zero, and 00:22:04.300 --> 00:22:09.770 you'll get 50% of your first order. Go ahead and tap the three dots 00:22:09.770 --> 00:22:13.520 inside the app you're listening on and give this show five stars 00:22:13.520 --> 00:22:16.340 on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And when you do, 00:22:16.370 --> 00:22:20.870 you can imagine me doing a happy dance and grinning from ear to ear. 00:22:21.140 --> 00:22:24.680 Thanks so much for listening and a very big thank you to my 00:22:24.680 --> 00:22:29.180 executive producer, Rwanda Lewis. Follow something shifted on Apple 00:22:29.180 --> 00:22:32.690 Podcasts or your favorite podcast player and share this episode 00:22:32.690 --> 00:22:36.470 with your friends and family. You can find me on Instagram at 00:22:36.470 --> 00:22:41.300 Shawn Lewis and the mailing list is 321 shift, which gives you three 00:22:41.300 --> 00:22:46.070 things for your mind two things feel buddy and one thing for your soul, 00:22:46.070 --> 00:22:49.850 plus a few little fun surprises every second Sunday. 00:22:49.850 --> 00:22:52.880 I've made it really easy and included the links in this episode. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:56.120 Show notes. Thanks again for believing in 00:22:56.120 --> 00:22:59.240 possibility. My name is Shawn and this is 00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:02.900 something shifted. See you in two weeks. Bye.