Tia Wimbush and Susan Ellis were coworkers for years at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and while friendly to each other at work, they rarely interacted in the large IT department. But in March, the two became bonded for life when Tia donated her kidney to Susan’s husband Lance, and Susandonated her kidneyto Tia’s husband Rodney.It all began with a chance encounter in the company restroom, and an introduction through another woman at work who knew that Tia’s husband Rodney had experienced sudden kidney failure in 2019 and that Susan’s husband Lance, who had long battled the disease, was in the same situation. Soon, they began to share what Ellis calls “a connection of sisterhood” after learning both their husbands had end-stage kidney disease and were on dialysis.“Out of her kindness and trying to pair two women together for help, she put us together,” Susan tells PEOPLE in this week’s Family issue.Kidney diseaseaffects an estimated 37 million people in the U.S., or more than one in seven adults. It’s called “the silent disease” because people often don’t realize they are in kidney failure until late in the game.For math teacher Rodney Wimbush, his illness started as something he just chalked up to fatigue from being the busy father of two boys, Rodney Jr., now 18, and Randall, now 13, who were active in track, basketball and football.“You never really have time to catch up, and I honestly just thought I was just tired,” Rodney says.“Then one day I was at school and I felt horrible.“Things escalated quickly. His blood pressure had skyrocketed into the stroke range and 911 was called. During all of this, his oldest son Rodney Jr., then 16, was at the school watching as his dad was transported to the hospital’s ICU.For more on the “kidney warrior family,” pick up the Family Issue of PEOPLE,on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.Rodney started dialysis in the hospital because his kidneys were no longer functioning. According to theNational Kidney Foundation, Black people are about three times more likely than white people to develop kidney failure.About 100,000 Americans currently are waiting for a kidney transplant, but only 22,817 received one in 2020, and about a third of thosecame from living donors. When kidneys fail, there are only two treatment options: dialysis or transplant. Dialysis equals strict fluid and diet restrictions along with being hooked up to a machine that filters your blood for hours.“I tried not to let it rule my life, but it takes so much out of you,'' Rodney says.For Lance, 41, this was round two of kidney failure, dialysis and attempting to get an organ transplant. He had married Susan, who had two young daughters — Molly, now 7, and Taylor, 14 — from her previous marriage. He was experiencing fatherhood for the first time and didn’t want to miss out.The Wimbush and Ellis families.Lynsay WeatherspoonHis first bout was in 2010, when he was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a chronic kidney disease, that escalated. In 2017, his mother donated to him. But an infection resulted in the kidney being rejected and he was placed back on dialysis.While their loved ones struggled, Tia, 45 and Susan, 42, kept up their conversations and shared information. Susan admitted treatment was wearing on Lance’s already fragile health.“It would strike me every time, and I would tell Rodney, ‘Lance isn’t doing so great,’ " Tia says.The Wimbushes were lucky in one aspect: Tia’s blood type O allowed her to donate to anyone, and Rodney’s AB allowed him to accept any donor’s organ. They coulddo a direct donationand quickly move to transplant.Unfortunately, the Ellises knew that Susan’s type A was not a match for Lance’s O type. They needed to enter a kidney match program that pairs donors and recipients. And that can take months or years.When the hospital allowed people to come back to work, the two women ran into each other in the restroom and started discussing their donor journey. It marked Tia’s light-bulb moment. She asked Susan about Lance’s blood type and realized shecould donateto Lance while Susan could donate to Rodney — a trade that would speed up the process considerably for Lance. But it also meant that it would take longer for Rodney to get his kidney.“For them to wait and be patient, that is incredible. Dialysis is extremely hard, not just on me and Rodney, but our entire family,” Lance says. “The fact that they held out to help me and Susan and our family, they deserve a medal for that. I cannot stress enough how hard dialysis is on people. And for what they did, I’m eternally grateful for it.“Tia says the sacrifice — which forever bonds these two families together — was not a difficult decision.“Rodney and I were thinking, ‘Hey, if we can help Lance get there faster, why not? Why shouldn’t we?’ " she says. “We’re the kidney warrior family. Nobody left behind.”
Tia Wimbush and Susan Ellis were coworkers for years at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and while friendly to each other at work, they rarely interacted in the large IT department. But in March, the two became bonded for life when Tia donated her kidney to Susan’s husband Lance, and Susandonated her kidneyto Tia’s husband Rodney.
It all began with a chance encounter in the company restroom, and an introduction through another woman at work who knew that Tia’s husband Rodney had experienced sudden kidney failure in 2019 and that Susan’s husband Lance, who had long battled the disease, was in the same situation. Soon, they began to share what Ellis calls “a connection of sisterhood” after learning both their husbands had end-stage kidney disease and were on dialysis.
“Out of her kindness and trying to pair two women together for help, she put us together,” Susan tells PEOPLE in this week’s Family issue.
Kidney diseaseaffects an estimated 37 million people in the U.S., or more than one in seven adults. It’s called “the silent disease” because people often don’t realize they are in kidney failure until late in the game.
For math teacher Rodney Wimbush, his illness started as something he just chalked up to fatigue from being the busy father of two boys, Rodney Jr., now 18, and Randall, now 13, who were active in track, basketball and football.
“You never really have time to catch up, and I honestly just thought I was just tired,” Rodney says.“Then one day I was at school and I felt horrible.”
Things escalated quickly. His blood pressure had skyrocketed into the stroke range and 911 was called. During all of this, his oldest son Rodney Jr., then 16, was at the school watching as his dad was transported to the hospital’s ICU.
For more on the “kidney warrior family,” pick up the Family Issue of PEOPLE,on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.
Rodney started dialysis in the hospital because his kidneys were no longer functioning. According to theNational Kidney Foundation, Black people are about three times more likely than white people to develop kidney failure.
About 100,000 Americans currently are waiting for a kidney transplant, but only 22,817 received one in 2020, and about a third of thosecame from living donors. When kidneys fail, there are only two treatment options: dialysis or transplant. Dialysis equals strict fluid and diet restrictions along with being hooked up to a machine that filters your blood for hours.
“I tried not to let it rule my life, but it takes so much out of you,'' Rodney says.
For Lance, 41, this was round two of kidney failure, dialysis and attempting to get an organ transplant. He had married Susan, who had two young daughters — Molly, now 7, and Taylor, 14 — from her previous marriage. He was experiencing fatherhood for the first time and didn’t want to miss out.
The Wimbush and Ellis families.Lynsay Weatherspoon
His first bout was in 2010, when he was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a chronic kidney disease, that escalated. In 2017, his mother donated to him. But an infection resulted in the kidney being rejected and he was placed back on dialysis.
While their loved ones struggled, Tia, 45 and Susan, 42, kept up their conversations and shared information. Susan admitted treatment was wearing on Lance’s already fragile health.
“It would strike me every time, and I would tell Rodney, ‘Lance isn’t doing so great,’ " Tia says.
The Wimbushes were lucky in one aspect: Tia’s blood type O allowed her to donate to anyone, and Rodney’s AB allowed him to accept any donor’s organ. They coulddo a direct donationand quickly move to transplant.
Unfortunately, the Ellises knew that Susan’s type A was not a match for Lance’s O type. They needed to enter a kidney match program that pairs donors and recipients. And that can take months or years.
When the hospital allowed people to come back to work, the two women ran into each other in the restroom and started discussing their donor journey. It marked Tia’s light-bulb moment. She asked Susan about Lance’s blood type and realized shecould donateto Lance while Susan could donate to Rodney — a trade that would speed up the process considerably for Lance. But it also meant that it would take longer for Rodney to get his kidney.
“For them to wait and be patient, that is incredible. Dialysis is extremely hard, not just on me and Rodney, but our entire family,” Lance says. “The fact that they held out to help me and Susan and our family, they deserve a medal for that. I cannot stress enough how hard dialysis is on people. And for what they did, I’m eternally grateful for it.”
Tia says the sacrifice — which forever bonds these two families together — was not a difficult decision.
“Rodney and I were thinking, ‘Hey, if we can help Lance get there faster, why not? Why shouldn’t we?’ " she says. “We’re the kidney warrior family. Nobody left behind.”
source: people.com
