Meet Michelle, a doula who champions the raw, complex, and profoundly human realities of both death and organ transplantation. Grounded in lived experience, she provides guidance, advocacy, and thoughtful leadership on these universal matters.
let’s undo the taboo
Since 2022, I have supported individuals navigating organ failure, transplant, and end-of-life matters. Over time, my role has evolved from providing one-on-one support to actively advocating for systemic change in patient and caregiver care.
My journey into this work was deeply personal, as it often is. It began with the death of my sister, followed by my stepfather, and then my father. Each faced a different illness under entirely different circumstances, yet I found myself tracing familiar threads between them—patterns of struggle, unmet needs, and systemic shortcomings.
These experiences led me to examine the significant gaps they each encountered in their care continuums, ultimately fueling my commitment to changing the narrative and ensuring more comprehensive support systems for those navigating organ failure and the end of life.
As I worked to bridge these gaps, it became clear that individual doulas, no matter how skilled or dedicated, could only do so much within the current system. True change required a collective effort.
For transplant doulas, this presented a unique challenge—because the model of care didn’t exist before I created it. No one knew what a transplant doula was. So at the start of 2025, I stepped fully into that vision: I transitioned from one-on-one doula work to building The Transplant Doula Training & Network—the first and only dedicated program designed to train, support, and elevate transplant doulas worldwide. My focus is now on ensuring more doulas are equipped to do this work, healthcare professionals recognize the value of our role, and transplant patients and their care circles have access to compassionate, knowledgeable guidance.
At the same time, I recognized the need to start conversations around death and dying within our community and launched Rumble with Mortality. This is where we come together to challenge the way we talk about death and the uncertainties of life. Through storytelling, education, and open dialogue, I help individuals and communities grapple with mortality in a way that is deeply human.
Of course, I remain committed to ongoing education and professional development, ensuring the resources I create are rooted in current medical, legal, and social landscapes. I actively engage in advanced training and research to develop individualized strategies across end-of-life and organ transplantation matters. As an associate member of the International Transplant Nurses Society, and a certified end-of-life doula, I bring both lived experience and professional expertise to the table.
