Jillian never expected organ donation to define her life path.
As a teenager, Jillian’s world shifted when her mother fell ill and needed a liver transplant. She knew it would be a difficult time for their family as they supported her mother through illness, surgery, and recovery. But what Jillian hadn’t anticipated was that her mother’s diagnosis—hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT)—would also be hers.
HHT is a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder that weakens blood vessels, making them fragile and prone to bleeding. Liver transplants for HHT patients are uncommon, and since her mother was 51 when she needed hers, Jillian assumed she had plenty of time before the disease would affect her that severely—if it ever did.
But at 21, Jillian’s journey with HHT took an unexpected turn. After enduring persistent stomach pain for months, she learned that her liver was already deteriorating.
Jillian spent six weeks with doctors as they tried to ease her pain. Eventually, she was prescribed an experimental medication in hopes of delaying the need for a liver transplant so she could return to life and her budding career as a hairstylist. But the side effects were brutal, and over the next four years, the pain returned, landing her back in the hospital and, finally, on the transplant wait-list.
During those years, Jillian missed out on so much—including work, vacations, milestone moments, and even her own wedding. As she waited, Jillian’s incredible support network explored ways they could help, and 20 of her closest friends and family members were tested to potentially donate a portion of their liver as a living donor. Unfortunately, not a single person was a match.
“As the wait became longer, I started to lose hope,” Jillian recalls. “I really began wrapping my mind around the idea that I might not live.”
By that point, Jillian had developed ascites—a condition where too much fluid builds up in the abdomen—which made eating difficult and drinking water nearly impossible, putting her at risk for seizures.
Finally, in early 2016—two weeks after her 29th birthday—Jillian got the call: a liver was available from a deceased donor.
The transplant didn’t immediately bring relief, as adapting to life after surgery was overwhelming, and the weight of knowing someone had to die for her to live was heavy.
“You’d think I’d immediately be overjoyed, but it took time,” Jillian says. “And then one day, a volunteer handed me a brochure for the World Transplant Games. I noticed swimming was included, and it hit me—I used to swim. That was the moment I started thinking about the future again. It was the first step in taking control of my second chance and living in a way that I think my organ donor would be really proud of.”
Once she was out of the hospital, Jillian quickly dove back into the sport she had once loved, using swimming to rebuild her strength. One year after her transplant, Jillian competed in the World Transplant Games in Malaga, Spain, proving to herself that she was stronger than ever.
But Jillian wanted to do more. In 2021, she became the first transplant recipient to swim across a Great Lake, completing the grueling 52 km, 18.5-hour journey across Lake Ontario.
“I trained every way I could. I swam in lakes when they weren’t frozen and ran when they were. I used a bungee cord in a friend’s pool to mimic swimming in a current—whatever it took,” Jillian recalls, noting that it was just as much about mental strength as physical endurance.
Through the Move for Life Foundation—which she founded in 2020—Jillian has raised a total of $230,000, which includes $150,000 from her Lake Ontario swim, to support future innovations in organ donation and transplant at the hospital she received her transplants.
“Knowing that I have been able to do something tangible to help save lives makes it all worth it. Even when I’m not actively doing something, I feel like I’m still giving back.”
In 2022, Jillian’s accomplishments in the sport earned her induction into the City of London Aquatic Hall of Fame. In the years following, she’s competed in numerous global swimming events, earning an impressive collection of medals and achieving personal bests. Her transplant and second chance at life have allowed her to conquer personal challenges and give back to the transplant community, raising money for organizations like Camp Kivita, a camp for young people living with organ transplants.
“After my transplant, I realized I had an opportunity to live fully—not just for me, but for my donor,” Jillian says. “To my donor’s family, the words ‘thank you’ will never be enough. Because of their decision to support their loved one’s choice to become a donor, I not only have my life back, but I’ve been able to help others. I hope they know that their loved one’s gift is creating ripples far beyond me.”
Looking ahead, Jillian remains focused on what matters most: continuing to swim, inspiring others, and living with gratitude.
“I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore,” she says. “I just hope that when people meet me, they feel how grateful I am for being alive—and I hope it rubs off on them.”