JR

This is JR – amongst a whole bunch of other awesome things, he’s also Debra's (the photographer's) husband.

In June of 2018 JR discovered that his kidneys had failed, a result of a genetic disorder, and he needed a transplant. Desperately wanting to be well again and resume his hockey hobby, he began the search for a suitable living donor. There are thousands of Canadians like him who can’t live the lives they want. Right now, there’s a 5 to 10 year waiting list for kidney transplants.

On the verge of requiring dialysis, and thanks to an incredible man and old hockey buddy, JR received a successful transplant in August of 2019. It took the efforts of dozens of people to get to this point, from the amazing friends and relatives who tested for eligibility to donate, to all the many teams at the kidney and transplant clinics - doctors, nurses, surgeons, researchers, lab technicians, hospital workers, volunteers, charities, supportive friends and family.