After a long battle with health struggles, Kelowna resident Troy Chapman, is on the road to recovery from a kidney transplant.
Chapman was one of 357 people to receive a kidney transplant in British Columbia last year, a new record BC Transplant announced on Wednesday, Jan. 28. In 2025, 525 B.C. residents received an organ transplant, also a record-high.
“I feel alive!” said Chapman. “I now have all this energy to get active, get out in the bush with my 4×4 and enjoy time with my family and friends.”
The now 53-year-old suffered a stroke 15 years ago and over time lost his legs to diabetes. He went on dialysis for two and a half years, which required him to travel five-and-a-half hours up to four days a week.
“I felt like I was slowly deteriorating,” Chapman recalled. “I was sick all the time, and it took me further into a dark hole.”
In October 2025, after being on waitlist for six months, he received his kidney transplant.
Three months into recovery, Chapman is back to exercising and working with his brother in their construction business in Kelowna.
“My brother is taking on more of the stressful stuff, but I am trying to do as much as I can and get my mobility back to not waste this gift,” he shared.
The father of three boys expressed his gratitude towards his family, the staff at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver and most importantly, to the family of the donor.
“To my donor’s family: while your family experienced an unimaginable tragedy, I want you to know that your loved one’s legacy lives on,” said Chapman. “Your loss will never be forgotten. Because of your generosity and courage during the most difficult moment of your lives, my life was saved – and so were the lives of others.”
BC Transplant’s 2025 annual report can be found on its website.