When Antwon's Kidneys Failed He and His Wife Shared More than Wedding Gifts

Antwon and Jequita, recently wed Millennials, were enjoying their honeymoon and looking forward to their life together.

“We were literally on a high,” said Jequita, “and then he started feeling sick.”

“(They) told me I had kidney failure, stage 5, and I had to start dialysis,” said Antwon. “I was devastated.”

“End-stage renal disease is the eighth leading cause of death in this country,” said Heather LaGuardia, MD, medical director, Living Donor Kidney Program at Memorial Healthcare System. “Kidney disease doesn’t discriminate; it’s every age.”

Fortunately for Antwon, Jequita volunteered to be a living donor — and was a match. The transplant was a success.

“We have a personalized approach,” said Joseph Africa, MD, surgical director, Adult Kidney Program at Memorial Transplant Institute. “The donors are angels and heroes, and we are just here to make it happen.”

“Yes, I saved his life, but Memorial gave us our lives back,” said Jequita.