BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — For many years, Ambrealle Brown had to postpone her dream of becoming a nurse because she suffered from a severe kidney disease that rendered her unable to work for some time.
Facing internal uncertainties about returning to a regular routine, Brown’s mother intervened and volunteered to donate her kidney. Surgeons conducted Louisiana’s inaugural robotic kidney transplant, which provided Brown with a fresh lease on life and allowed Nija Butler to witness her daughter flourish.
Almost two years following the successful transplant, the Louisiana mom and her daughter embarked on yet another milestone journey. Both wearing white caps and gowns, they crossed the stage hand-in-hand in Baton Rouge as they graduated from nursing school.
“As parents, we always tell our children, we would die for you, and kids don’t always understand that kind of love,” Butler, 48, said. “I would have given anything for her to live. I mean that from the bottom of my heart, without a second thought.”
In a recent interview with The Associated Press, the two women looked back on their shared experiences and the obstacles they have conquered together.
The mother-and-daughter pair from Louisiana have always shared a strong bond. Butler had her daughter while still in high school, which meant they essentially came of age alongside each other. Focusing all her energy on caring for both her daughter and son, Butler also supported Brown’s aspiration to pursue nursing.
However, in 2016, things shifted dramatically when Brown received an FSGS diagnosis—a uncommon kidney ailment capable of leading to renal failure. Her condition rapidly declined. On one particular day, while enrolled in preparatory classes for nursing school, Brown experienced such severe tightness in her legs that she became immobilized.
Shortly after, Brown’s doctor delivered detrimental news: Brown would either need to start dialysis or have a kidney transplant to survive. The average wait for a kidney transplant in the U.S. can vary from two to five years, or longer, depending on certain factors,
based on data
from the National Kidney Foundation.
Brown desperately hoped for a new kidney. But as she awaited news of a transplant, she was forced to turn to dialysis — a treatment that lasted nine to 13 hours, every single day. Brown’s daily life was limited, and she had to stop school.
After years of dialysis, Butler said she saw a shift in her daughter, who was typically optimistic.
“It was like she wanted to give up,” Butler recalled about a phone call with her daughter. “She was tired of just being connected to a tube that her life revolved around.”
Although doctors had previously told Butler she likely wasn’t a match to be a kidney donor for her daughter, she still scheduled an appointment to get tested the next day. She opted not to tell her daughter, not wanting to get her hopes up in case it wasn’t a viable match.
Soon after, Brown got news she had been waiting five years to hear — she was getting a new kidney. She called her mother to tell her, but her mom already knew. Confused, Brown asked her mother how she would know that.
“It’s me,” Butler responded.
The two underwent surgery in March 2023, with Tulane University School of Medicine doctors performing the state’s first kidney transplant using a robotic surgical system. The practice offers increased precision so the procedure is minimally invasive, hoping there will be less pain and a speedier recovery.
After the successful surgery, Brown returned her focus to school. Her mother decided to get her registered nurse’s license as well.
For 16 months, they were attached at the hip. They sat together, studied together, and, in April, graduated from the Baton Rouge General School of Nursing together.
“I couldn’t have done it without her because nursing school is hard,” Brown, 34, said. “I’m happy that I was able to go through that milestone with her side by side.”
Brown has accepted a job at a burns intensive care unit, and Butler is continuing her career at a psychiatric facility.
The ladies hope their story inspires others to never give up and also spread awareness about the importance of medical testing and the donor and transplant process.
“Thank you for giving me life twice,” Brown said to her mother. “I have to keep saying that because you gave me a second chance at life, and most people don’t get do-overs.”
Butler wiped away a tear and, without skipping a beat, said, “And I would do it again.”
