“This is the second time I’ve had to have a kidney transplant. My mom, Teria Brown, gave me a kidney nine years ago.
“This kidney started failing around April 2013. The renal disease I had that caused me to lose my first kidney resurfaced and essentially took out my transplanted kidney within three months.
“It was awful to have it come back, because my life was great after I got my transplant. In February 2005, I went on to the University of North Alabama and got my bachelor’s degree, and I’ve been working since then.
“But one thing this did was kept me from working every day, which I don’t like. I had to do dialysis three times a week. I work for a dropout recovery program. It’s for kids who dropped out of school and need a second or sometimes even a third and fourth chance to get a high school diploma. I’m a tutor/teacher/mentor. It’s the Birmingham Dropout Recovery Program for the Birmingham City Schools.
“I was on dialysis before my first kidney and then again this time. It just zapped my energy level. I wasn’t as enthusiastic to do things like I once was. Most of the time you’re just drained. I was tired and slept a lot, and that’s just not like me.
“I lacked energy and couldn’t even eat things I wanted to eat.
“How would I describe dialysis and what it does to me? It’s taxing. It’s very draining. It makes you tired. I couldn’t work or anything before my first transplant because it took so much out of me. This time actually hasn’t been as bad because I’ve been able to work some. It’s still not fun, though. It really hurts your arm to do dialysis all the time.
“The fact that my brother Amari is giving on my behalf is pretty amazing. This time last year he was in a near-fatal car accident. He was here at UAB in the neurointensive care unit. It was bad. But I just feel like God let him survive to help me out.
“I just want to feel healthy again and have a sense of normalcy and pursue things I had planned. I have a sneaker boutique, Laced Up, that I run online and I want to have the energy to do all of that stuff.
“Fortunately, I’m feeling good now after the transplant. I have more energy. It’s great to feel better again.”
Joseph Brown - 20
"My brother giving on my behalf is pretty amazing. This time last year he was in a near-fatal car accident.... I just feel like God let him survive to help me out."