The Mid-South Transplant Foundation, in partnership with Cxffee Black, hosted Coffee & Conversations on Thursday at 761 National Street in Memphis. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the community gathered to share stories about the gift of life through organ and tissue donation, highlighting the impact donors and recipients make across the Mid-South.
A mother’s strength
For Barbara Edmond, the day carried deep personal meaning. Her son, Reginald Mercer IV, was just 26 years old when his life was cut short in a car accident.
“April 4th, my son was on his way home from work and he was t-boned,” Edmond recalled. “They took him to the hospital and within three days he was pronounced brain dead. We decided to give his organs, and that was not a hard decision for me to make because I’ve worked in the hospital and I used to supply the blood for the transplant team.”
In total, six of Reginald’s organs were donated, saving five lives. Edmond has since met several of the recipients, including the man who received her son’s heart, another who received his kidney, and a liver recipient who has since gone on to have two children.
“That makes a total of seven miracles,” she said. “One recipient even gave her daughter the middle name Reggie after my son. I keep in touch with them through texts, videos of their kids, and their milestones. That brings me joy.”
Reginald, she added, was a gifted artist who had his work displayed at the Brooks Museum and earned a full academic scholarship to Memphis State.
Life after Lupus
Ellen Momon shared her journey as a transplant recipient, one that began with a Lupus diagnosis and spiraled into kidney failure, dialysis, and multiple health complications.
“I was diagnosed with Lupus some years ago, and it affected various organs in my body,” Momon said. “Eventually it became my kidney, and I had total kidney failure. I was on dialysis for about a year before they asked me if I wanted to be on the transplant list. Of course I said yes.”
Just over a month after being added to the list, she received the call that changed her life.
“Glory be to God, I got a call around 10 that morning. They told me they had a kidney for me and wanted me to come to the hospital. I was excited, ready to go—it blew me away.”
Now, 26 years later, Momon says she is grateful for every moment.
“Life has been grand for me since receiving my transplant. Before, I thought I’d never feel good again. But because of that gift, I got back to work, back around people, back to living. I don’t know who my donor was, but wherever they are, I just want to say thank you.”
A call to action
Zola Burgess, community outreach coordinator for the Mid-South Transplant Foundation, stressed that the event was designed to raise awareness among African Americans during National Minority Donor Awareness Month.
“The purpose of Coffee & Conversations is to bring awareness to African Americans in the Mid-South about the need for donors,” Burgess said. “When we talk about organ donation, there are over 106,000 people on the national waiting list. Eighty-six percent of those people are African American. Because of high rates of high blood pressure and diabetes, we need more people of color to step forward.”
While all organ donations save lives, Burgess explained that African American recipients often have better success with organs from African American donors.
“We all bleed red, but African Americans often match better with African Americans,” she said. “Unfortunately, many in our community say, ‘I’m going to take back what I came here with.’ That mindset has to change—we can’t let our organs go to waste when someone else can benefit.”
A Direct Challenge
The event closed with a powerful message from Dr. Telisha Franklin of the Mid-South Transplant Foundation.
“To everyone out there—if you are not a registered donor, what’s wrong with you?” Franklin asked. “There are so many people awaiting a life-saving transplant, especially those who look like me. I am proud to say that four of my family members are living because of organ and tissue donation. So why not say yes? Sign up today at midsouthtransplant.org.”
More Than Coffee
What could have been just another Thursday morning became something greater. With the backdrop of Cxffee Black’s culture-rich setting, Coffee & Conversations created a safe space for dialogue, blending culture, community, and awareness.
For those who listened and shared, one message was clear: the gift of life is a legacy anyone can leave.
