Waiting for an organ transplant can be like running a marathon race. In particular, kidney transplant candidates have to wait three to five years for a transplant. However, Black people have a much longer wait time than white patients. According to United Network for Organ Sharing minority affairs committee member, Dr. Paulo Martins, for years “Black patients have started at 5 miles behind.” These numbers point to the daunting reality that Black Americans Americans disproportionately accounted for America’s renal failure patients, even though they make up less than 20% of the population. Due to this, Black patients are more likely to die from kidney disease.
It’s a hard pill to swallow for wife and mother of one, Kristal Higgins, who’s been diagnosed with kidney disease. Several members of her immediate family have suffered from the chronic condition and even died from it.
A kidney function test, commonly known as the eGFR test, has miscalculated the severity of the disease in patients for years. Higgins’ situation was no different. The test kept her waiting six long years before she finally could get a kidney transplant. Her experience led her to speak out against the healthcare system and advocate for earlier screenings. In the end, she hopes her story will help save more lives from kidney failure.
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Kristal Higgins Waits 6 Long Years
Years ago, Kristal Higgins looked forward to what the future had in store for her. The mother of one had plans to travel to Greece and become a licensed nurse. Life was going well for Higgins. Unfortunately, her plans were cut short after doctors diagnosed her with kidney failure.
Making matters worse, the chronic disease runs in Higgins’ family. Currently, her mother has stage 2 kidney disease and her father, who has diabetes, is at high risk for developing the illness. Even several of her relatives, including her late grandmother, suffered from kidney disease.
Additionally, one of Higgins’ good friends passed away from the chronic disease back in 2020 because the disease was caught too late.
Kristal Higgins found herself fearing she’d have the same fate as her friend and family members who’d all passed away from the disease. She waited six long years to finally qualify as a kidney transplant candidate and receive an organ donation.
However, the fact remained that she endured such a long and stressful wait time compared to other patients. During that time, Higgins drove 40 miles roundtrip from Memphis to Olive Branch, Mississippi to receive her dialysis treatments three times a week.
Not to mention, she spent several dollars on van transportation because she felt uncomfortable driving herself. Higgins remained in a