The Journey Continues Podcast Library
The Journey Continues Podcast Library
The Journey Continues is a podcast committed to promoting kidney health and organ donation through powerful stories. Host Monica Fox is a kidney transplant recipient and Director of Outreach and Government Relations for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. This series features the journeys of kidney patients, living donors, transplant recipients, donor families and industry experts who continue to educate the community through their own experiences and stories.
Connected at the Heart
August is Minority Organ Donation Awareness Month. For our inaugural episode, we are highlighting the story of organ donor hero Mario Cousins, as told by his mother Emma O’Neal and his grateful heart recipient Pam Morris Walton.
Battle of a Lifetime
Daronta Briggs is a Gulf War Veteran, kidney transplant recipient, and the CEO of Veterans Transplantation Association. He shares his kidney transplant journey and decision to support other veterans facing gaps in the healthcare system.
Monica’s Thanksgiving Miracle
In this episode, host Monica Fox is interviewed by her daughter Olivia Fox. Together they tell the miraculous and emotional story of Monica’s life-saving Thanksgiving transplant and why they are both committed to changing lives as a result.
Waiting is the Hardest Part
Dawn Williamson is the first smiling face folks see when they step into Gift of Hope’s offices. With her calming presence and bright smile, visitors might never guess that she too is waiting for a life-saving transplant. She chats with Monica about staying positive while she waits.
Beyond Every Wall
As the first female, black transplant surgeon in the U.S., Dr Velma Scantlebury is no stranger to overcoming challenges. She shares her journey from little girl in Barbados to author and world-renowned physician, and what’s next for her now that she’s retired.
A Chance Encounter
Antonia Jordan and Maranda Proce couldn’t be any more different but they now call one another “my closest friend.” Their lives intersected when Antonia’s nephew Chance the Rapper tweeted about his aunt’s need for a kidney donor.
Taking the Lead
Illinois State Senator Christopher Belt shares the shocking way he discovered his kidney disease and how his diagnosis and kidney transplant affect the way he serves the people of Illinois.
This Fight Isn’t Over
Kimberly Gosell has been through more than her fair share of health scares: lupus, kidney failure, three transplants, and now brain cancer. She shares how she handles the continued fight for her life.
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
Aaron and Tonya Rhoden’s love story is straight out of a Hallmark movie. They were engaged on a mountain in Hawaii and married the very next day. When Aaron was told he needed a kidney transplant, the couple embarked on their hardest climb yet.
A Lasting Legacy
Through her work at Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, Marion Shuck helped countless families make the powerful decision to donate their loved ones’ tissue and organs. When her husband of 33 years, Reggie, suddenly passed away, she found herself making that same powerful decision.
The Kidney Primer
Dr Tipu Puri, a kidney specialist at UChicago Medicine explains who is at-risk for developing kidney disease, and when, where, and why you should have your kidneys checked.
Heroes Don’t Retire
Dr Ashtuosh Gupta treated patients with kidney disease for more than thirty years. But it was only after retirement that he made the decision to become a living kidney donor. In this episode, he shares his story and walks us through the donation process.