Changes in her diet and activity helped ward off dialysis for years. In 2015, prompted by her younger cousin, she decided to share her story on social media. There was no denying it — Phelicia needed a kidney. Her nephrologist had added her to the waiting list a few years earlier, but a living donor was the goal. After friends and family were tested one-by-one, her cousin Dean was the perfect match. The surgery took place Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) 2016 at Vidant Medical Center. The kidney, which she named Sydney the Kidney, began working immediately! Scheduled very early in the morning, surgery was on a Thursday and by Sunday all she and Dean wanted to do was be discharged in time to watch Game of Thrones that evening.
Fast forward, two years and eight months post-transplant, she and Dean still love Game of Thrones and are preparing for the final season. Today, Phelicia teaches economics online, yoga face-to-face all over Greenville, NC, and continues to be an advocate for organ donation.
