LOUISVILLE, Ky. — University of Louisville alum Tara Croft is recovering Tuesday, after a remarkable leap of faith landed her a new kidney.
"[I'm] a little sore. But I'll take that soreness in a heartbeat," Croft said.
Croft was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease in 2021, which overtime progressed to kidney failure. She said doctors placed her on two transplant lists as she fought for her life on dialysis in Lexington.
"Dialysis does a wear and tear on your body," she said. "Your wait time accumulates from your first time having dialysis. And then I got a letter in the mail stating that African Americans were back logged on the waiting list."
This prompted her loved ones to see if they could be a donor, but sadly, none of them were able to. However, Croft said she continued to hold on to faith.
On October 7, she and her mother decided to take her story to the stands during the UofL and Notre Dame football game.
"That game was sold out. It was national televised," Tara said. "We went into the game, held up the sign. A lot of people took a picture of it, reposted it on Facebook."
Those posts gained attention from thousands of people online, including some UofL football players. The next day, Tara said she got an unexpected call from woman named Terri Wright.
"She expressed to me that her daughter passed away, but she was an organ donor. And she said, 'I have to sign the papers, and I would love for my daughter's kidney to got to you," she said.
An act of kindness that left Tara at a lost for words.
"It seemed like it just happened overnight. That was a Sunday, and I got my transplant that Thursday," she said.
Since her surgery, Tara has been focused on her recovery. She's also spreading the word of what faith, and a sprinkle of 'Black Girl Magic' can do.
"Keep your magic up and bright," she said.
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