Growing the Gift

About Growing the Gift

The Growing the Gift podcast is all about pediatric transplant from the eyes of those who live it every day: caregivers, patients, the clinical team and our community. We know that being a transplant family comes with its own unique set of challenges, and we want to provide a space for you to feel seen, heard, and understood. In each episode, we will explore a different topic related to transplantation through interviews with experts and families like yours. We hope this podcast will be a source of information and connection for you as you navigate your transplant journey.

Publisher

Transplant Families

Category

kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Sept 2022

Latest episode

17 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Oct 2026

   Finding Community in Biliary Atresia: A BARE Podcast Conversation

   In this episode, Jennifer Lau, MPH, co-founder of Biliary Atresia Research & Education (BARE), joins host Melissa McQueen to share how BARE got started. Jennifer describes meeting another family at a pediatric transplant conference and realizing that families affected by biliary atresia had no community of their own. She also shares her family’s experience, from her son’s diagnosis through his liver transplant and the years since. The conversation also covers BARE’s work on early detection, including efforts to bring biliary atresia and other cholestatic liver diseases into newborn screening, so that children can be diagnosed and treated sooner. If you or someone you love is navigating biliary atresia, we hope this conversation helps you feel seen, heard, and less alone. Guest: Jennifer Lau, MPH, co-founder of BARE Host: Melissa McQueen Biliary Atresia Research & Education (BARE) is dedicated to supporting families through research and education. Learn more at BAREinc.org.

2. 

   19 Sept 2026

   Empowering Parents in the Era of Outbreaks

   Empowering Parents in the Era of Outbreaks In this episode of Growing the Gift, host Melissa McQueen sits down with Winston Ally, Director of Medical Affairs, and fellow transplant advocate Riki Graves to talk about a topic many families don't think about until it's suddenly in front of them: chickenpox exposure. Winston opens up about the day his own daughter came home from daycare with a mysterious rash that stumped three pediatricians before a chickenpox diagnosis finally clicked, a reminder that even healthcare professionals can be caught off guard when herd immunity means fewer people have seen the virus firsthand. Melissa shares her son Dylan's story: a transplant recipient whose exposure led to a week and a half hospital stay, missed first days of first grade, and the kind of fear that only a transplant parent truly understands. Riki then shares a very different outcome. When her daughter Juliana, transplanted as a newborn, was exposed in a crowded clinic waiting room, her care team acted quickly and she never developed the disease. Together, the three of them explore: Why chickenpox can pose serious risks for immunocompromised children, even when it's a mild childhood illness for others How exposure can happen in everyday places like daycare, clinic waiting rooms, or time with family members who have shingles The importance of calling your transplant team right away if you suspect exposure, rather than waiting to see how symptoms develop What questions to ask your healthcare provider about options after a known or suspected exposure How hospitals manage protocols and supply to protect immunocompromised patients This episode also includes important safety information about VariZIG, a prescription product discussed as part of the conversation. Please see full prescribing information and speak with your healthcare provider for complete details specific to your situation. Whether you're a transplant parent, a caregiver, or simply someone who wants to better understand how to protect a vulnerable child, this conversation offers real stories, practical takeaways, and a reminder that you are your child's best advocate. When in doubt, call your care team. Growing the Gift is brought to you by Transplant Families, a program of the Children's Organ Transplant Association, with this episode sponsored by Kamada.

3. 

   21 Aug 2026

   Navigating Transplant: What the Transplant Families + COTA Merger Means for You (feat. Rick Lofgren, CEO of COTA)

   Navigating Transplant: What the Transplant Families + COTA Merger Means for You (feat. Rick Lofgren, CEO of COTA) Two organizations that have walked alongside transplant families for decades have joined forces, and in this special episode, Melissa McQueen sits down with Rick Lofgren, CEO of the Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA), to explain exactly what that means for your family. Transplant Families and COTA have been aligned in mission for years, and this merger brings more hands on deck, shared resources, and lower overhead, so more support goes directly to families, not back-office costs. Melissa and Rick answer the questions you've been asking: what changes, what stays the same, and how does this help families like yours. In this conversation, you'll hear: • How COTA helps families day to day, at no cost and with no fundraising fees. • What's actually covered, and it's more than you'd think: co-payments, deductibles, medications, travel and lodging, household expenses, COBRA premiums, therapy, dental care, even post-transplant home cleaning. • Who's eligible: any family with a transplant candidate or recipient age 21 or younger, plus more than 5,000 single-gene diagnoses, with no age limit. Once you're a COTA patient, you're a COTA patient for life. • Why COTA funds go further than crowdfunding. • More than 100 fundraising ideas your team can put to work, from golf outings and online stores to virtual 5Ks and social media challenges. • Ways to get involved beyond fundraising: advocacy, education, research, and support. Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Reach out to Melissa at melissa@transplantfamilies.org or melissa@cota.org, or contact Rick directly at rick@cota.org. Learn more and explore past episodes at transplantfamilies.org and youtube.com/transplantfamilies.

Who has been a guest on Growing the Gift

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Julie Bonn
• Silke Niederhaus
• Kristen-Allyson Ramones
• Sara Kathryn Smith

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 6 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

11

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Growing the Gift

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.