A Miracle Named Hope: How Tiara Found Her Second Chance

Tiara “Sweet Tea” Owens has been in the fight of her life since high school. What started as a routine sports physical in 2008 led to a life-changing diagnosis: protein spillage in her urine revealed severe kidney damage. Doctors diagnosed her with FSGS (Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis) and told her she’d likely need dialysis within two years. That prediction came true, Tiara began dialysis just a year later.

In 2014, she received her first kidney transplant, which she named HOPE, from a deceased donor. But her journey took another turn when her body rejected the transplant just shy of its first anniversary. Determined not to give up, Tiara returned to dialysis, this time opting for in-center treatment after years of doing home hemodialysis.

Ten years later, on January 29, 2025, she received what she now calls her gift of life: a second transplant she lovingly named MIRACLE.

“Becoming a recipient of a kidney transplant has been the most rewarding thing in life,” Tiara says. “With this new kidney, I’m able to enjoy life like my peers. I’m currently in school for pharmacy tech and will be done this summer!”

Kidney health runs deep in Tiara’s story, her father and grandmother both battled the same disease and her father also received a transplant. It’s why she participates in the Walk for Kidneys and continues to advocate for awareness.

Her advice for others? “Know what’s going on with your body. Be proactive. Talk to someone, bottling things in isn’t healthy.” What kept her going all these years? Her four nephews: Mekhi, Logan, Ashton, and Timir. “They were my light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. “So, find what makes you happy and keeps you driven.”

Support Tiara in the Walk for Kidneys here.