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 Kidney Donor Program at Memorial Transplant Institute. “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.

“The donors are angels and heroes, and we are just here to make it happen,” said Dr. LaGuardia.

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