Transplant Patient Education:

  • Please make sure to use appropriately cited educational resources, and always double check things with your team. Remember that every patient is different, and some of what you read on the internet does not pertain to EVERY transplant patient.

  • Make sure to check my personal LinkTree for weekly updates, resources, and content that I’ve helped write or create.

  • Education/support websites and groups (hyperlinks are underlined):

    • AST’s Power2Save has a mission to prove that everyone has the power to save a life by supporting transplant research, advocating for public health, and promoting organ donation. Lots of wonderful educational resources, fact sheets, and videos available here.

    • TRIO puts out educational videos for transplant recipients & offers virtual support groups, which you can find here.

    • Stanford University’s Heart Transplant program has a website about what to expect before & after surgery, exercise guidelines, amongst other information.

    • LyfeBulb is a beautiful, interactive website created for patients with chronic illness, and has a section specifically for transplant patients.

    • UNOS/OPTN has a PDF created for parents of children with organ transplants.

    • An overview of the vaccination schedule guidelines here.

Transplant Diet:

  • FDA’s official “Food Safety for Transplant Recipients” resource can be found here.

  • If you have an Instagram account, check out & follow @transplantfoodforlife … beautifully created.

  • If you are on steroids post-transplant, remember to check your blood sugar levels regularly and try to eat “low glycemic index” foods. A good review of all of this can be found here.

Transplant Misc Resources & Nonprofits:

  • If you have any questions about traveling after your transplant, make sure to chat with your team and check out AST’s resource titled “Guide to Travel After Transplant.”

  • Housing resources:

    • Help Hope Live aids with costs that health insurance doesn’t cover for those with critical illnesses.

    • Northern California: Heartfelt Help Foundation, founded by heart transplant recipient Denise Redeker

    • Southern California: Ava’s Heart, founded by heart transplant recipient Ava Kaufman

  • SODA is a nonprofit founded by students that educates and raises awareness about organ donation for high school & college students.