Support Zellice's Journey to a New Kidney

Dear Friends

My name is Zellice Barnes Watkins, and I am 48 years old. I am a wife and mother – 25 years of marriage to my husband Lamont and mother to my three J’s – Jarius, Jazmine and Jaida. I enjoy cooking, singing, and fishing. Although I am diabetic, I enjoy going to church and singing in the choir and on the praise team, preparing meals for my family, especially Sunday dinners; and catching that “big” one at the lake.

In 2022, my doctor prescribed Jardiance, a brand-name prescription medicine to help improve my blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of hospitalization and cardiovascular death. In June 2022, after about four months on the medication, I started vomiting and couldn’t stop. I went to the ER, where they asked for my medicine list. When the doctor came in to discharge me, he asked how long had I been taking Jardiance. I said, “Four months.” He then told me to stop taking it and that he was putting me on another medicine, and he needed me to follow up with a Nephrologist.

So I made the appointment thinking it was just another routine visit. On September 28, 2022 (a date I will always remember) I had my first appointment, and he told me I was in Stage IV kidney failure and needed to go on dialysis. “Shock!” is not the word to describe how I felt, but when I tell you I cried (like a baby) for hours. My husband and mother-in-law had to come get me from the doctor’s office, I couldn’t drive because I couldn’t stop crying. Just the word “dialysis” meant death to me because I actually thought people who go on dialysis don’t live long.

My doctor assured me that that is not the case, and my mother (whom I called immediately sobbing) prayed to calm me down. She then told me to do some research on dialysis. The research educated me on what dialysis really do and some of the benefits of dialysis, despite the limitations involved. So on December 2022, I had my first surgery to put the dialysis port in place. On May 8, 2023, I did my first dialysis treatment. I am on peritoneal dialysis (PD) which allows me to do it in the comfort of my home and also allows me to be able to travel somewhat and still do my treatments.

It has been a year and two months (as of the writing of this letter) since my first treatment. It has helped because I do only three treatments per week. My doctor tells me I am a good candidate for a kidney transplant. A transplant would offer me more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier and more normal life. It would help me to continue doing the things I enjoy most: cooking, singing, fishing.

However, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy, but I am asking those that are willing to please help me and the thousands of others like me who are on the wait list. We would love to wake up one morning to a call that says, “Come quickly! We have a kidney for you!”

To help me, you can call Amy W, who is at UNC, and let her know you would like to be tested to be a donor on my behalf. Her number is (984) [phone redacted]. Or you can go to the following website and register: Living Organ Donation/UNC Hospitals/Chapel Hill, NC (uncmedicalcenter.org)

I thank each of you now for helping me to find a donor. I also have a GoFundMe page to help with my living and travel expenses during this process. The GoFundMe page is under my name, Zellice Watkins. Any amount is sincerely appreciated as this procedure is very costly. May God richly bless you for your prayers, donations, donor willingness, and well wishes.

Very truly yours,

Zellice