It Began with a Bike Ride
Mark was just 12 when he fell off his bike and ruptured his spleen. Emergency surgery and two blood transfusions saved his life—but one carried Hepatitis C, a fact he wouldn’t learn for decades.
After his accident, life went on as normal until Mark turned 40, when he says, “everything went south.” He went to the hospital thinking he had the flu, but after a series of tests, his doctor suspected lymphoma. “I remember my doctor saying there were growths in my intestines, something wrong with my liver, and a spot on my hip bone. I thought, ‘I’m done.’” Six months later, Mark finally received the official diagnosis: hepatitis C.
The next 10 years were a rollercoaster of treatments, tests, and uncertainty, moving on and off the transplant waitlist. Mark was treated for Hepatitis C three times before finally being cured in 2017. But just months later, he was diagnosed with liver cancer and was back on the transplant waitlist. “The clock was ticking for me.”
In November 2019, after nine long months of waiting, Mark received the call that changed everything—a donor liver was available. “I felt instant shock and was overwhelmed. There was such a flood of emotions.”
Today, Mark lives with gratitude and purpose. He knows more than one person had to pass for him to be here—the donor and those who died waiting for that liver. “Organ and tissue donation is the silver lining in tragedy. I’m alive because someone registered.”
Since Mark got his second chance at life, his perspective has shifted. “Before, life was about building something monetary. After transplant, it’s about collecting experiences. That’s all I want to do.” He’s competed in the Transplant Games, traveled, and continues his love of cycling. “I feel grateful and privileged to be here. I owe my life to so many people—and I don’t take that lightly.”
A registered donor since he was 16, Mark assumed everyone registered, but was shocked to learn only 35% of Ontarians have signed up—that’s what drives him to continue raising awareness. “Hundreds die every year waiting. If my story can get even one person to register, it’s worth it.”
Now retired, Mark dedicates his time to advocacy, speaking at events and leading the Quinte Organ Transplant Support Group—a group he co-founded with other transplant recipients after recognizing a critical need in their area. It’s the kind of support system he wished had existed during his own transplant journey. “When you’re going through this process, you feel alone. It’s a dark place to be. I really wanted to speak with someone who had been through it.”
“Nothing else so simple can have a more significant impact,” shares Mark. “Registering takes minutes, but it can give someone decades.”