A Second Chance at Life
Tara was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at just 14 months old. Despite the diagnosis, she was a vibrant, active child. CF never held her back, it was simply part of her daily routine—medications, exercises, and a cough that became her signature sound. “Friends and family used to locate me by listening for my cough,” she recalls.
But everything changed in Grade 12. At 17, Tara’s health declined rapidly. Her lung function plummeted, medications stopped working, and she was hospitalized frequently. Just a week after prom and shortly before her 18th birthday, she was admitted to SickKids Hospital. Determined not to let illness define her, she enrolled at the University of Guelph in the fall but lasted only a month before being re-admitted—this time as the sickest patient in the adult clinic. Over the next couple months her lung function dropped below 16% and she needed to be on oxygen full-time.
Due to the severity of her condition, Tara was placed on the lung transplant list as a priority patient. Just 11 days later, she got the call. She recalls watching House with her dad after a long day of tests at the hospital—she answered the phone, not realizing it was the moment that would change her life. “It was so unexpected. I hadn’t even reviewed the transplant binder they gave me,” she admitted. Within 24 hours, she had new lungs.
Her recovery was swift, but rejection began 22 months later. Treatments helped stabilize her, but four years after her first transplant, Tara found herself back on the wait list. This time, she waited over two years. She finally got the call the day before her 25th birthday—she had been trying to plan a party, instead, she was rolled into the operating room on her birthday. It was a moment she describes as, “The best gift I have ever received—a second chance at life.”
After each transplant, life was a relearning process. Tara had to teach her body how to breathe, swallow, talk, and eat again. But Tara describes the biggest change was being able to plan for a future, instead of just hoping for one: “Before, I couldn’t even schedule a day in advance because I didn’t know how I’d feel. Now, I can chase my niece and nephew, play volleyball, and work full-time.”
In late 2024, Tara was diagnosed with a blood cancer linked to the immunosuppressant medications she needed post-transplant. It was caught early, and she completed chemo in February 2025. By July, she was in remission.
Tara is now a passionate advocate for organ and tissue donation. She encourages others to consider organ donation, reminding us that the need is constant—and often unexpected. There are never enough organs to meet the demand, and no one can predict when they or someone they love might need a life-saving transplant.
“Organ donation is the gift of life. It gives people more time with their family and friends. That’s the impact.”
Register today at BeADonor.ca