Sandra Holdsworth is a retired financial professional and longtime transplant recipient, receiving a liver transplant 28 years ago due to Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis which usually is accompanied with Crohn’s disease, which she required a permanent Ileostomy for in 2012. Sandra is currently on the waitlist for a simultaneous liver/kidney transplant. Drawing from her lived experience, Sandra advocates for organ & tissue donation, mentors transplant patients, and champions patient & caregiver involvement in research and healthcare transformation.
For over a decade, Sandra has been a patient partner and co-lead with the Canadian Donation Transplant Research Program, contributing to research on quality of life, exercise, nutrition, mental health, skin cancer, AI, and patient engagement. Sandra partnered with her local OHT, Muskoka & Area since their application was submitted in 2019 as a Patient/Caregiver co-chair. Along with her co-chair they developed the Patient, Family, and Caregiver Partners Advisory Council (PFCPAC). Sandra stepped down from her role with the MAOHT in December 2023 to focus on her other partnerships. Sandra is also on the Ministry of Health, Minister’s PFAC, and a board member of Patient Advisors Network (PAN). Locally, she volunteers with Gravenhurst Against Poverty and co-founded Spark Muskoka.