Former Teen heart transplant Recipient Marks 24 Years, Urges Organ Donation and Conversations
USA: Candace Monroe is approaching 24 years since receiving a life-saving heart transplant at age 15 and is using that milestone to push for greater donor registration and family conversations. Her long survival with a donor heart has turned her into a vocal advocate for both deceased and living donation, and she credits her donor’s family—particularly the donor’s father consenting to donation—for the life she now leads.
Monroe describes a deep, ongoing relationship with her donor’s family and spends her days supporting others facing similar choices. She stresses that signing up to be a donor is straightforward, pointing listeners toward state registries, online options and organizations such as Life Bank as practical ways to register. The conversation also touched on the familiar option of indicating donor wishes through a driver’s license and the variety of ways people can express consent.
Beyond deceased donation, Monroe emphasizes the role of living donors, encouraging healthy people to consider evaluation if a match could save someone’s life. She frames donor registration as a ripple effect that can benefit multiple recipients, and she urges families to discuss organ wishes openly so loved ones understand the decision at critical moments. Her advocacy is presented as both personal testimony and practical instruction for prospective donors.
The segment places Monroe’s story alongside other current transplant news noted in the conversation, including a separate reference to Bernie Kosar recovering from liver transplant surgery, underscoring the broader public attention on organ scarcity. A follow-up story is scheduled to explore what donor and recipient families endure during the emotional donation journey. Monroe continues to champion donation, connecting lived experience with concrete steps people can take to help others.
