avril 16, 2026

Thousands of people across Canada face difficult decisions about kidney transplantation—but a growing peer support program is helping ensure they don’t have to navigate those choices alone. 

The Transplant Ambassador Program (TAP), which began as part of a Can-SOLVE CKD research project, brings together more than 220 volunteers who share their lived experience as living kidney donors or transplant recipients. In March 2026, the program reached an important milestone, expanding for the first time to offer in-person support in Quebec. 

At the heart of this expansion are siblings Serge and Christine Pisapia, whose shared journey with kidney disease and transplantation spans decades. 

From experience to advocacy 

Serge was ​32 ​​​years old when he was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a type of kidney disease that can lead to kidney failure in about half of those affected. Like many patients, he knew that if his kidneys failed, his options would be dialysis or a kidney transplant. 

His sister Christine was ready to donate one of her kidneys. As a health care worker, she understood that people can live healthy lives with one kidney—and that transplants from living donors often lead to better outcomes than those from deceased donors. 

Still, the transplant journey wasn’t easy.

“To make a long story short, he was, like many, a very reluctant recipient. He preferred to get a kidney from a deceased donor than from somebody he knows—particularly his little sister,” Christine says. “Whenever I would ask him about how I could donate, he was pretty much blocking me out.” 

When the time came for him to get a transplant, Serge ultimately accepted Christine’s offer. His health has been strong since then—and the experience would go on to shape both of their paths as volunteers.

​​Today, the siblings are both Transplant Ambassadors, connecting with patients and families considering kidney transplant or donation. Christine, who splits her time between Ontario and Quebec, began her work as a Transplant Ambassador at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, where she speaks with patients and answers any questions they may have about the process.  

Christine (front-L) and Serge (front-R) Pisapia with TAP Quebec team

Her role, she emphasizes, is not to persuade people to pursue a living kidney transplantation. “We’re just there to open up their minds to it, to at least explore the possibility, and also to demystify it,” she explains.  

Since its inception in 2016, TAP has expanded to include more than 220 volunteers who collectively speak more than 25 languages. While many conversations happen by phone or video chat, the ability to speak to potential transplant recipients and donors face-to-face in clinical settings can ​​​​​be especially​ powerful.  

“When you see someone like me who donated a kidney 11 years ago, it’s like—okay, wow, she’s still living a full life,” Christine says. 

These interactions can make a meaningful difference for patients weighing complex decisions. 

“If my brother had had the opportunity to speak to a Transplant Ambassador like myself back in the day, I think that person could have spared us a lot of emotional roller coasters.” 

Expanding support for patients in Quebec 

With a strong foundation in Ontario, TAP has been exploring partnerships with hospitals across Canada to expand its reach to more patients and potential donors. 

When the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) expressed interest in bringing the program to Montreal, it marked both a significant growth opportunity and a full-circle moment for the Pisapias. Serge has received care through the MUHC for decades, and their transplant surgery took place at the Royal Victoria Hospital in 2014. 

“Their kidney care team couldn’t believe they could integrate TAP [at no cost] and immediately saw its value for their patients,” says Christine. 

The program officially launched at the MUHC in March 2026 on World Kidney Day. “It was a great success,” Christine says. “The welcome that we got from the people at the MUHC was amazing.” 

As bilingual ambassadors, Christine and Serge are able to connect with both English- and French-speaking patients—an important factor in expanding access to peer support in Quebec. The partnership is also helping to accelerate efforts to make TAP’s materials and website fully bilingual. 

Additional volunteers are now being recruited to join TAP at the MUHC and beyond, including for virtual roles. Christine notes that people are drawn to the program for many reasons—whether it’s a chance for donors and recipients to “pay it forward” or simply to support someone facing difficult decisions. 

“I love bringing a message of hope,” she says. 

Find out more 

Originally launched as part of Can-SOLVE CKD’s Living Donor Kidney Transplantation project, the Transplant Ambassador Program has grown into a national, volunteer-led initiative. It is now the flagship program of the Renal Patient and Donor Foundation, a registered Canadian charity that supports patients and potential donors considering transplantation and living donation. 

• Learn more about TAP, explore resources, or get involved: transplantambassadors.ca 

• Learn more about the Renal Patient and Donor Foundation: RPDF.ca 

• Read more about the Living Donor Kidney Transplantation research project: “Building a smoother, more accessible path to living kidney donation”