EP40: The Untold Story of Transplants, Depression, and a Mother’s Love

On this episode of Affirm That Sh!t, I sit down with Theresa Mark—a nurse, a Cleveland sports fan, and a mother who’s lived through the unthinkable. Her son Josh was an athlete, an engineer-in-the-making, and a rare autoimmune disease survivor after a lifesaving kidney transplant from his father. But behind the victories was a growing storm no one saw coming.Theresa opens up about the brutal truth most people don’t talk about—the lack of mental health support for transplant patients, the stigma around suicide, and the silent weight carried by families navigating chronic illness. She shares how Josh’s mental health battles, compounded by isolation during the pandemic and medication side effects, ultimately led to his suicide.This conversation goes deep into grief, advocacy, and the fight for change. Theresa’s voice is raw and relentless—calling out the system’s failures while holding space for anyone walking through loss. We talk about signs from loved ones, the courage it takes to speak the truth, and how she’s turning pain into purpose through advocacy for transplant patients’ mental health.If you’ve ever faced loss, fought the system, or wondered how to keep going when everything shatters—this one’s for you.