“I was told I would eventually need a kidney transplant after I was diagnosed with kidney failure due to high blood pressure.”
“After being diagnosed with kidney failure, I was placed on dialysis and had treatments three days a week — every Monday, Wednesday and Friday — for nine years. When you’re on dialysis for that long, you have a significant lifestyle change that you just have to adapt to. I had to change the way I did almost everything in my life.”
“When I was told I was a candidate to get a transplant, and that there was a match for me, I didn’t have any fears. I was humbled to know that someone wanted to give me a kidney. I had my transplant April 9, 2016.
“The doctors were wonderful throughout the process. They made me feel comfortable about the surgery and made sure I was OK.”
“The process after the transplant was going fine until my health started to decline more. I found out that my calcium levels were through the roof, and it was messing with the new kidney I just received.”
“I found out that it was my thyroid that was causing my problems and not my kidney. Once they took the thyroid out, I felt a lot better than before. Now I’m doing really well.”
“I met my donor, Prince Etheridge, before either of us even knew that I was going to be the recipient of his kidney. The day of surgery, I saw him sitting with his mom in the waiting room beforehand.”
“I feel proud, thankful and humbled about being a part of the longest kidney chain. I feel more humbled than anything because Prince had a chance to back out of giving his kidney; but he said he had made a promise, and he was going to do what he set out to do. I am forever grateful.”