“She Gave Me Life Twice”: Mother Donates Kidney, Graduates Nursing School with Daughter
Nija Butler and her daughter, Ambrealle, have always shared a close bond—one that began when Nija had Ambrealle in high school. “She’s my best friend, my confidante,” Nija told WFAB9 News.
Diagnosis to Dialysis
That relationship grew even stronger after a health scare nearly took Ambrealle’s life. In her late 20s, during a routine checkup, doctors found one of her kidneys leaking protein. Follow-up tests revealed she had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a rare kidney disease that can lead to failure.
“I was so young at the time,” Ambrealle said. “I thought I had forever.” The diagnosis forced her onto dialysis, hooked up to a machine for up to 13 hours a day for five years. “That tube was keeping me alive.”
Nija stayed close during the entire ordeal. “Sometimes I would crawl into bed with her during dialysis,” she said. “That was all I could do.”
It’s a Match
Eventually, Nija secretly got tested to see if she could be a kidney donor, even though doctors said it was unlikely she’d be a match. To everyone’s surprise, she was.
“It was probably the best news I’ve ever heard in my life,” Ambrealle said. “And I didn’t even know she was doing it.”
The transplant took place at Tulane Medical Center. Once both were stable, they reunited. “All I could do was kiss her, hug her, and make sure she was okay,” Nija said. “When I heard the kidney was working, I could finally breathe again.”
Second Chance at Life
Ambrealle, given a second chance at life, decided to follow her dream of becoming a nurse. Nija joined her. The pair enrolled in the 16-month registered nurse program at Baton Rouge General School of Nursing.
“We’re taught how kidneys work in textbooks,” said Ambrealle, “but imagine your nurse has lived it. I know what that patient is feeling.”
This April, Nija and Ambrealle will graduate together, proud and ready to serve others. They hope to start a business supporting kidney patients and families going through similar journeys.
“She gave birth to me—and she gave me life twice,” Ambrealle told WFAB9. “I’m just glad I get to do life with her.”
