BLACK mobile logo

detroit

health

A Ritual of Borrowed Time: What It Means to Wait for a Kidney While Black in America

July 24, 2025

Victor Walker shares his deeply personal experience with kidney failure and dialysis, describing how invisible illnesses often go unrecognized despite their severity. He details the exhausting reality of dialysis treatment—a life-sustaining but draining process he undergoes three times weekly for four hours at a time while awaiting a kidney transplant. Walker highlights the significant racial disparities in kidney disease treatment, noting that Black Americans develop end-stage kidney disease at nearly four times the rate of white Americans yet face longer transplant wait times.

Who is affected

  • Black Americans who develop end-stage kidney disease at rates nearly four times higher than white Americans
  • Kidney failure patients dependent on dialysis, particularly Black patients who represent approximately 35% of those receiving dialysis despite being only 13% of the U.S. population
  • Patients on transplant waiting lists, especially Black patients who face significantly longer wait times for kidney transplants
  • Family members and loved ones of those suffering from kidney disease
  • Communities affected by healthcare disparities and inequitable access to organ donation

What action is being taken

  • Walker is currently undergoing dialysis three times a week for four hours at a time since November 2024
  • Walker has been active on the kidney transplant list for approximately a year
  • Walker is using his experience to educate others about dialysis, kidney disease, and systemic healthcare inequities
  • Walker is advocating for Black Americans to consider becoming living donors and to register as organ donors
  • Walker is encouraging early testing and management of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure

Why it matters

  • The disparities in kidney disease treatment represent both a healthcare and social justice crisis
  • Black patients often face significantly longer wait times for kidney transplants compared to white Americans
  • Living donation can dramatically reduce wait times and improve transplant success rates
  • Early detection and management of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can prevent kidney failure
  • Addressing the mistrust in the medical system among Black communities is crucial to increasing donation rates
  • Survival for kidney patients depends not just on medicine but on collective care and action

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle

A Ritual of Borrowed Time: What It Means to Wait for a Kidney While Black in America