Kendric- Liver Recipient

If you met Kendric Currington right now, you would have no idea that he’s been ill most of his life. At the age of 13, he was diagnosed with PSC, or inflammation that causes scars within the bile ducts of the liver. This was known to be hereditary in his family, as his Great Uncle died from it at an early age.

Fast forward to the age of 27, Kendric was living right outside of University of Louisville’s campus with a roommate. Everything was fine until he started to go in and out of consciousness and his roommate noticed.

Kendric was in a medically induced coma for the next 7 days. After 11 days in the hospital, he received “the call” for a lifesaving liver transplant.  He’d been listed for transplant since childhood, but his condition wasn’t considered quite serious enough for transplant.

June 29, 2017, Kendric woke up from transplant surgery. Dr. Christopher Jones, who is also featured in “Faces of Donation,” was Kendric’s transplant surgeon.

His liver donor was a successful Kentucky woman living in Pittsburgh, PA, McKenzi Loid. She was a Western Kentucky University Graduate and always known for her positive attitude. There’s a myth that says organs from different race people can’t be transplanted into another, and that’s untrue as you see by this story in particular.

Since Kendric’s transplant, he’s gotten to do things that he never would have imagined—like modeling. “I hated my scars at first because they were different, now I love my scars, it sets me apart and to inspire others.” He’s also in the best shape of his life and has a newfound love for food, because he couldn’t eat too much in the past.

Right after surgery, he couldn’t speak due to tubes, he then asked for grandmother’s phone, to ask how was he doing. A Phoenix bird, which means “rebirth,” popped up which has since inspired his Fien-X clothing line.

Kendric has not met McKenzi’s family in person, but they keep up with each other frequently through social media.