DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Tiffany Lyons
Tiffany Lyons, is an Early Childhood Educator, a kidney
recipient, and my mother. Diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), a genetic kidney disease, in her 20’s. Over the next thirty years, she got married, had children and found a job in education before her life was put on hold in 2024 when she entered the final stages of kidney failure. The next year and a half were occupied with dialysis, the rejection of one donor after another, and hope that the next applicant will be a match.
In the short documentary Waiting for a Match the long and complicated process of organ donation is told through the experience of a kidney donation recipient. The film will explore the emotional impact of her journey as well as the difficulties she faced leading up to the life
changing surgery. The film will also ask the question, how does one find it within themselves to fight for their life in a body that actively fights against itself.
A shared burden in a system of fragments
Documentary Scene
Part II: The Recovery
The Scale of Dispair
The Wait
In 2025, 3,174 Canadians received organ donations, 81% deceased donors and 19%
living
4,344 people were on the waitlist
The Lottery
31% of 678 people taken off the donation list had died while waiting for a donation
That is roughly 210 people.
The Friction
As of 2023, 70.1% of Canadians on the organ donation list were waiting for a kidney,
As of 2023, 70.1% of Canadians on the organ donation list were waiting for a kidney,
Follow the Journey
Witness a powerful testament to human resilience and the navigation of systemic hardships. Join the conversation on Canadian healthcare and organ donation.
