Kidneys 4 Tidewater

01/29/2026

AMBER ATKINS!!!!
Amber still needs a kidney transplant!

Amber was born September 10, 1993, and her blood type is B. Currently, she requires a kidney transplant. At 32 years old, Amber is a devoted mother dedicated to raising her two daughters.

5 years ago Amber relocated from South Carolina to her hometown of Chesapeake, where she collaborates with her mother's non-profit organization, Stop the Violence, which focuses on raising awareness about community violence and offers summer and after-school programs.

In 2012, Amber was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, a hereditary condition causing her kidneys to fail in 2024. Despite the absence of a family history, Amber's kidneys are functioning at only 3% capacity due to the growth of fluid-filled sacs called cysts. Symptoms of this disease include high blood pressure, back and side pain, blood in the urine, and a feeling of fullness in the stomach area. Other potential symptoms are headaches, kidney stones, and infections of the kidneys or urinary tract.

To manage her condition, Amber was under going peritoneal dialysis at home overnight but now does hemodialysis hoping to switch back to PD. She is now registered at

http://www.vcuhealthlivingdonor.org/

And Henrico Hospital, please call 804-289-4941 if you are interested.

Augusta Transplant center
Kathryn.hefner@wellstar.org
762-375-3773

Norfolk transplant center
http://Sentara.donorscreen.org

Please consider supporting Amber, she has a full life ahead of her and a living donor could change her life.

01/29/2026

Hello everyone! We're overcoming a temporary hurdle with our donation system on our website, but your generosity has bee proven more powerful! A huge thank you to those who have already contributed by purchasing our t-shirts or making a direct donation - every bit counts! Your support brings joy and snacks to dialysis patients during their treatments and enables us to plan future events! Please scan here to join hands with us and thank you for being the driving force behind our mission!

12/31/2025

12/23/2025

Sometimes, life-changing moments happen in the most ordinary places. For Bobby Wadkins, it happened at his local golf club.

12/22/2025

12/21/2025

💚Here’s an update on Kenika 💚
Today at VCU Medical Center, my wife received life-changing news: a kidney match has been found. We are deeply grateful to the VCU transplant team and to our community for the love and support that carried us here.
Our journey with IgAN (IgA Nephropathy) has strengthened our commitment to kidney disease awareness and organ donation. If you’re on dialysis, waiting for a transplant, or supporting a loved one—especially those living with IgAN—know this: you are seen, you are supported, and you are not alone. 💚
We’re honored to stand with Kidneys 4 Tidewater, a community dedicated to raising awareness, sharing real stories, and helping connect living donors throughout the Tidewater region:
🌐 https://kidneys4tidewater.org
For those seeking resources and support for IgAN specifically, visit:
🌐 https://igan.org/
Hope, community, and one courageous “yes” can save a life.

12/19/2025

Our beloved Kenika got her kidney transplant yesterday at VCU!!
Everyone keep her in your thoughts 💙
Her husband says” She is stable and the kidney is taken to her body. If everything goes like as planned Monday she should be discharged to one of the hospital hotels and monitor for a week and then brought home after that”

12/19/2025

We first introduced you to Katisha Vertrees two years ago. She had lupus and stage 3 kidney disease, meaning her kidneys had essentially stopped working.

After we shared her story, an anonymous donor was inspired to help. The donor raised her hand and turns out, she was a perfect match for Katisha.

Margie Smith chose to remain anonymous — to the public and to Katisha — until now.

At the link in comments, learn about what inspired Margie to give a kidney to a stranger.

12/18/2025

12/17/2025