Jamila Hudson is determined to spread the word that living kidney donation is important for people of all races and cultures. She should know: Jamila received the gift of life from a living kidney donor on March 11, 2020.

Hudson had been on the transplant waiting list for a deceased donor kidney to become available, but she was able to receive a “chain-end” living donor match through the National Kidney Registry. Chain-end matches occur when the final kidney from a living donor kidney chain goes to somebody from the deceased donor waiting list.

In addition to encouraging patients to schedule their surgeries and other procedures, Jamila is also interested raising awareness about the need for more donors among people of color. While transplants can be successful regardless of the race or ethnicity of the donor and recipient, the chance of longer-term survival may be greater if the donor and recipient are closely matched in terms of their shared genetic background.