Terrell Potter, a former officer with the Phil Campbell Police Department, learned that his kidney was failing. Doctors prepared him for the reality of a seven to eight year waiting period for a compatible donor. Potter said, “We began praying about getting the right kidney.” The family began reaching out to potential donors across the southeast. But little could they know that the perfect match would be two miles away, in the body of an unlikely prospect.
On the other side of town, Jocelynn James was scrolling through Facebook when she saw the post about Potter’s search. She remembers, “I just threw my phone down and the Holy Spirit told me right then that I had that man’s kidney.”
James’ willingness to be a donor was totally unexpected. In a recent interview, Potter said, “If you asked me 100 names of who may give me a kidney, her name would have not been on the list. It’s just unbelievable that she was willing to do that.”
Between 2007-2012, James was arrested 16 times for theft and drug charges, once even appearing on “Franklin’s Most Wanted.” And on multiple occasions, Potter was the arresting officer. James, now clean for seven years, said “I was just living a really bad life … and I was just a really lost person … I was sick of living that life.”
She was tested, found to be a perfect match, and she made the sacrifice that saved Potter's life. Citing her faith, James said, “God restored me from the inside out, and to be able to give another human a kidney to extend his life is really rewarding.”
