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11. A Race Against Time: Toni Bloor's 15-Year-Old Son James and the Life-Saving Gift of a Double Organ Transplant

11. A Race Against Time: Toni Bloor's 15-Year-Old Son James and the Life-Saving Gift of a Double Organ Transplant

May 2025
49 min
Organ Transplant
Organ Failure / Burkitt Lymphoma
Teenager
Life-threatening

Toni Bloor shares her family's urgent journey — her son James survived Burkitt lymphoma at age 5, then as a teenager needed a life-saving heart and lung transplant.

Listen to Episode 11

A Race Against Time: Tom Booth's 16-Year-Old Son James and His Life-Saving Gift of a Kidney Transplant

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About This Episode

In this gripping episode, host Lisa McKelvey sits down with Toni Bloor to discuss her family's race against time when her son James faced organ failure and needed a life-saving double organ transplant as a teenager. James had already survived Burkitt lymphoma at age 5, but his long road was far from over. Toni shares the emotional journey from his cancer diagnosis through to transplant and recovery.

The conversation covers the sudden onset of James's organ problems, the search for suitable donors, and the complex emotions surrounding organ transplantation. Toni discusses the challenges of watching her teenage son face such a serious medical crisis and the impact on their entire family.

Toni shares insights about the transplant process, the importance of organ donation, and how their family navigated the uncertainty of waiting for suitable donors. She discusses the recovery process, the ongoing medical care required post-transplant, and how James has adapted to life with his new organs.

The episode title "A Race Against Time" captures the urgency of James's situation and the critical importance of organ donation. Toni's story highlights the incredible gift of organ donation and offers hope to other families facing similar medical emergencies.

Tags

organ transplant
organ failure
teenager
life saving
medical emergency
childhood cancer