Best Friends, A Life-Saving Gift

Vernisha and Yvonne met at Dozier Middle School in Newport News and became fast friends. More than thirty years later, Yvonne would become Vernisha’s living donor. 

Kidney disease was not new to Vernisha’s life. Shortly after meeting Yvonne, Vernisha’s father went into kidney failure. He would spend nearly 20 years on dialysis, and in his final two years, Vernisha and her mother cared for him at home, running shifts around the clock. 

Decades later, Vernisha’s own health began to fail. After years under a doctor’s care and medication, she wasn’t improving. Then a specialist at VCU delivered the news: She was in kidney failure. 

“I went to the doctor by myself. I was devastated, to say the least,” she said. 

In August 2020, she was placed on the transplant waiting list. By November, she learned she needed to start dialysis immediately. 

“My world was crashing,” she said. “I had been a single mom for so many years, and I was the breadwinner in my household. I never thought about being as ill as I was.” 

Drawing on what she learned caring for her father, Vernisha chose peritoneal dialysis at home and continued to work full time as a Walgreens store manager. For months during this struggle, she told almost no one. It was her daughter who encouraged her to let people know she needed help.  

“Mom, you’re suffering in silence. You need to share your story,” Vernisha recalls. 

Vernisha wrote a Facebook post. Then her phone rang. It was Yvonne. 

“I remember thinking. You’ve been best friends with this girl since you were in sixth grade,” Yvonne said. “I really felt the call to help her.”  

Yvonne is a registered donor on her license but had never considered living donation. After many conversations with both her family and Vernisha, Yvonne decided she wanted to be a living donor. 

She contacted VCU. The results came back a perfect match. Then on June 30, 2021, the friends had their transplant. 

For Yvonne, the process was far easier than she imagined. Screening took a couple of months, the surgery was laparoscopic and she went home the next day. By the Fourth of July, she was at her neighbor’s cookout. 

“It’s just extremely rewarding,” she said. “The kind of joy that you feel knowing that you’ve helped save a life and save a family. I can’t even put it into words.” 

For Vernisha, there are still struggles, but her quality of life improved massively. She went back to school, earning a Master of Public Health in 2025. Together, she and Yvonne founded the Ames Foundation, a Hampton Roads nonprofit helping people prevent and manage chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease.  

“Because of her extraordinary gift, I received a second chance at life,” she said. “It reminded me that ordinary people have the ability to do extraordinary things.” 

Their advice for anyone hesitant about donation? Ask questions. 

“Education is power,” Vernisha said. “Education calms any hesitation that you may have. And make sure that you have support.” 

Yvonne puts it simply, saying, “It’s extremely easy to ask questions and learn. And it’s just so rewarding.” 

You can learn more about living donation here.