Latest Weather Blog
Twice the gift of life: Baton Rouge mother saves daughter with kidney donation and a shared dream
Related Story
When a Baton Rouge mother brought her baby girl into the world, she never could have imagined that one day she would give her the gift of life again.
More than 100,000 people across the U.S. are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. And about 86 percent of those are in need of a kidney. This national donate life month and now two women share their remarkable story for the first time.
“We tell our kids all the time that I’ll die for you. I don’t think kids understand when parents say I’ll do anything for you,” said Nija Butler, 49.
Until now, mom Nija Butler and daughter Ambrealle Brown have kept their remarkable story completely to themselves. It was years ago when Ambrealle brought her mom with her to a doctor's appointment.
“As he began to tell her about her kidney disease and that she wouldn't live if she didn't get a kidney or dialysis, my knees went completely out, and I hit the floor,” Butler.
For five years Ambrealle went through dialysis nine to 14 hours a day, every day. Her condition was hereditary and Nija was told it was unlikely she would be a donor match, but then mom said her daughter's suffering had gone on long enough waiting for a kidney donor.
“I went to bed with that on my heart, but I woke up with something else on my heart, that I needed to try to fix this for my baby,” said Butler.
She secretly got tested and was a perfect match. The Tulane transplant team called Ambrealle.
“Getting the call about the kidney was probably the best day of my life, and I was also sad at the same time. I didn't want it to be my mom because I knew what that meant I knew the recovery,” said Ambrealle Brown, 34.
With the transplant complete in 2023, Nija and Ambrealle kept another story to themselves. You see Nija, was an LPN with psychiatric patients and Ambrealle was a medical assistant working on pre-recs for nursing. Both dreamed of being registered nurses. They applied to Baton Rouge General School of Nursing. Mom got in. Her daughter was waitlisted.
“When she said she didn't get accepted I told her I wasn't going. I wasn't going. And she said, ‘No mama, go without me.’ And I was like, ‘No, I can't do this without you,’” remembers Butler.
Then another life-changing phone call.
“School started January 6th. I got a call from the director January 5th that a spot opened and can you be here for 8 o'clock in the morning. And I was there for 8:00 and the rest was history,” remembers Brown.
No one knew the two "best friends" in class were related. And now the two will graduate together April 29.
“It's not even about me. It's about, I'm going to be so happy to see her walk across that stage. To see my baby dreams come true and to know that she has an organ from me and I helped her dreams come true,” said Butler.
Ambrealle will work in an ICU but her next dream is to help kidney patients, because she knows their struggles.
“I will remember every pain that I felt from that machine, every time I felt drained, felt like I couldn't go, keep going. This is not my story any more it's for someone and it's time that I tell it even though I'm uncomfortable,” said Brown.
If you'd like to learn more about Tulane’s living donor transplant program visit East Jefferson General Hospital's website.
News
