‘Every bit of it was God’

It was basically impossible that one of Toya Mills’ kidneys would be a match for best friend Angie Taylor.

“About 1 in 100,000,” Mills said. “Every bit of it was God,” Taylor responded. The two worked together 15 years at Liddy’s Pharmacy. Thirteen years ago Taylor started experiencing kidney failure. “I knew at one point I would have to

have a kidney transplant,” she said. In March 2019, Taylor learned she had FSGS (focal segmental glomerulosclerosis), a rare disease that attacks the kidney’s filtering units and causes serious scarring that leads to permanent kidney damage.

Her late mother, Cecil Shoffner, had the same disease. And her brother, Ricky Shoffner, also had it and recently underwent a kidney transplant, too.

“Once my kidneys started — I knew what it would come to,” Taylor said.

In September 2020, it was time to start dialysis and time to begin looking for a possible donor.

Mills had told Taylor earlier — “No worries, I will give you one of mine.” Taylor didn’t realize she was serious.

“I knew that I would do it,” Mills said. “She was not going to hear of it, but God placed it on my heart. In my mind, I didn’t have a choice.”

In December 2020, Mills said she met with medical personnel who “explained it all to me, and I still agreed after the meeting.”

Then she was tested.

Taylor got the word first that her best friend was a perfect match. But she still took the precautionary route.

“I told her, “OK you don’t have to do this, and I will still love you. But if you are interested, I have the number you need to call.”

Mills said she quickly responded — “Give me the number.”

Her mind was made up.

“God gave me peace, and He would be the only one to stop me,” Mills said. “When you have the peace of God, nothing can stop you.”

After the pending procedure was confirmed, the best friends said they cried for two hours.

Then the two couldn’t wait until the day to report to Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., for the transplant.

“It was like a free vacation, Mills said. “We were so excited. It couldn’t get here fast enough.”

“You would have thought we were going to Hawaii,” said Taylor, with a big smile.

Mills said she had no fear.

“I was not worried,” she said. “It was all smooth and normal as far I was concerned.”

Mills’ surgery took four hours. Taylor’s, projected to be in the same time range, took seven hours.

“They didn’t like the way the blood was running through it (the kidney),” Taylor said, “so they had to redo it. I’m not really sure what they did.

“But in my opinion, it went really well. It could have been a lot worse.” She went home on the fifth day following surgery. Her recovery has been gradual.

“I have started getting my energy back,” she said in the May 13 interview. “I’m feeling normal again.” There have been no issues, except with some medication.

“I’m not going to complain about anything,” Taylor said.

Mills was off work six weeks. She has experienced no issues either.

“I was sore,” she said, “and of course needed some healing. But you wouldn’t know I did anything if not for the scar.”

The strong friendship of the two ladies, who live a mile from each other and attend Red Banks Baptist Church, is stronger than ever. Both are thankful for the support and love received from their church family and from the entire community.

“I’m really not worthy of this,” Taylor said. “I don’t feel I deserved it.” Mills responded, “I did it because I love her. She’s been my rock for many years. She’s like a sister to me.

“The dialysis was painful for her, and it was not supposed to be that painful.

“Why wouldn’t I do it? I could still live without it (the kidney).” Taylor said she will never let her best friend forget what she did for her.

“She gave me at least 20 more years,” Taylor said. “I get to watch my grandbabies grow up. I get to grow old with my husband. I can never repay her. I don’t even know where to begin to repay her.”