Kidneys 4 Tidewater

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

12/10/2025

Kenika is still searching for a kidney donor!! Please read her story 💕

MEET KENIKA JACKSON-GREEN!!!!

Kenika Jackson-Green (blood type A+), born on February 8th, 1976, is a devoted wife and mother of three adult children. As the Virginia ambassador for the IGAN foundation, she advocates for individuals affected by kidney disease.

Following the birth of her last child in 2003, Kenika experienced severe stomach pain, prompting an upper GI scan. The results revealed a kidney infection, initiating months of treatment. Unfortunately, her kidney function never returned to normal. A subsequent kidney biopsy led to a diagnosis of IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease. This condition involves the buildup of an immune protein called IgA in the kidneys, causing inflammation, blood in the urine, and potential kidney damage over time.

In 2017, Kenika received a diagnosis of Mixed Connective Tissue disease, a rare autoimmune condition characterized by the immune system attacking body tissues. MCTD combines symptoms of lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis, yielding to the nickname "overlap disease".

Kenika was introduced to the IGAN foundation in 2023. Through this organization, she learned about newly approved drugs designed to slow IgAN progression. However, her nephrologist recommended another kidney biopsy before considering these treatments. Unfortunately, the biopsy was complicated, resulting in significant kidney function loss and leaving her in need of a kidney transplant.
Please share and help Kenika get her miracle!

Norfolk’s transplant center:

https://sentara.donorscreen.org/register/now

VCU transplant center:

https://www.vcuhealth.org/hume-lee-transplant-center/living-donation/living-kidney-donation/