Shak & Gurjit

Meet Shak and Gurjit, life partners, parents and living kidney donation advocates.When Shak met Gurjit he didn't know much about transplant or kidney disease. But as Shak saw his then girlfriend's health deteriorate, he got past the fear and became a living donor to Gurjit via the national Kidney Paired Donation (KPD) program. The KPD program is an interprovincial organ sharing program operated by Canadian Blood Services in collaboration with Canada’s living kidney donation and kidney transplant programs. The KPD program gives individuals an opportunity to donate to a stranger so their loved one can find a kidney match and more transplant candidates across Canada can receive a lifesaving transplant. Since the transplant, Shak and Gurjit have married, had children and become active in the transplant community, raising awareness of the power of living donation to help people with kidney failure get their life back.Their story shows that ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things. Whether it's stepping forward as a living donor, registering as a deceased donor, donating blood or spreading awareness...YOU are capable of taking a brave action. You can not only change a life...you can save a life.