Tuesday, August 25, 2020 6:51PM
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Linda Humphrey-Morgan is feeling like herself again after getting a new kidney last month.
"Life is good again," she said.
Humphrey-Morgan received a kidney donated by her daughter, Shara, who desperately wanted to see her mother survive diabetes.
Humphrey-Morgan has had diabetes for decades, which left her gravely ill.
"I went to the hospital where she was admitted, and told her, I need you to do this. I need to you do this for me," Shara said.
But Humphrey-Morgan refused treatment for years, even as her health declined.
"I was always tired, I was depressed. I couldn't taste food," she said.
Eventually, Humphrey-Morgan agreed to accept her daughter's kidney, which was a perfect match.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Dinee Simpson [NKFI board member] who said she's all too familiar with patients who are fearful or do not trust their doctors.
"Based on a lot of misinformation and myths that tend to circulate in the African American community, patients will decide not to move forward with something that can be life-saving and life-changing," she said.
Simpson is one of nine African American women across the country who are transplant surgeons.
She said having more minorities as medical professionals can help With putting patients at ease.
"When you have a group that has struggled with distrust in the healthcare system, seeing someone who looks like them helps to mitigate a lot of that," she said.
As for Humphrey-Morgan, she's thankful she listened to her daughter and her doctor and has a new outlook.
"I went way down to the bottom and I feel like I got my life back. I feel normal again," she said.
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