Leona Dawkins-Derrico's Kidney Transplant

Fifteen years on dialysis is equivalent to over 2,400 dialysis treatments. That is over 10,800 hours in a chair having blood drawn and cleansed through an artificial kidney. Imagine enduring 15 years of this while raising two young boys as a single parent. Imagine losing your mother to the same disease and watching your father suffer from it too. Now imagine living through all of this and finally being approved to receive a kidney transplant. Well, meet Leona Dawkins-Derrico. This is her story. 


In August 2005, at the age of 36, Leona began her first dialysis treatment, not knowing what to expect of her future. Her freedom was cut short because of this unfortunate health issue, which required her to endure the exhausting 4.5-hour treatments three times a week. As a single mother of 2 young boys, ages 10 and 12, she hoped to see her children reach adulthood. Knowing that the average life expectancy for dialysis patients is 5-7 years, she held onto her faith and continued raising her family. Throughout it all, she worked 12-hour shifts as a patient representative at the local hospital until 2012, when she physically could not continue working. The combination of long night shifts and multiple dialysis treatments each week took a toll on her health and caused her to become disabled. The kidney disease started to affect her ability to do the simplest of tasks.


Leona continued focusing on her children and being there for their important moments while suffering from other health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. She also struggled to lose the necessary weight for transplant eligibility, and her desire to put her family first further deterred her from pursuing the procedure. In December 2018, after years of being on dialysis, she went into cardiac arrest while in treatment and had to be resuscitated.


After this near-death experience, she spoke to her family about taking her health seriously to pursue the kidney transplant. It soon became apparent that no one in her family could donate because of their history of medical issues. Historically Black Americans receive kidney transplants at a lower rate because of that same fact. Therefore, her only option was to pursue a spot on the national waiting list. Leona has since lost over 75 pounds in preparation for the transplant and has finally been placed on the national kidney transplant waitlist! 


Now, she needs your help. Transplant priority is based on a candidate’s length of time on dialysis. So Leona will advance to the top. The process will not be a simple journey and will require a lot of assistance. The family has limited funds and is asking for donations to help with costs associated with transportation, food, lodging, and medical bills. They are partnering with the Georgia Kidney Transplant Foundation, which will match all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000. Thank you for reading this story and your considerations to allow Leona a second chance at life. God is truly amazing!