LANSING, MI – At age 27, Tolliver ‘Mike’ Bragg has been waiting 5 years for a kidney transplant.
In 2006, Bragg became seriously ill and went to the hospital for a routine emergency visit. He thought that he was just not feeling well but he and his family were shocked to find out that he was in full kidney failure.
Today, Bragg is thankful for every day that passes and looks forward to turning 28 on December 27.
Bragg said with a positive attitude, “I am very active and I feel very good. It is a real mental job to keep focused. I immerse myself in what I love to do and feel best when I am putting my music together.”
Bragg is a popular rap artist and producer who leads the Mid-West based group “The Cho-Boys”. He has performed in Michigan, Nevada and Ohio. He has had the opportunity to collaborate with up and coming independent artist, Wiz Khalifa.
In 2006, Bragg was tired and could not travel. The life of the young, outgoing and friendly man had been turned upside down as a result of his diagnosis.
He has a comprehensive yearly checkup at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and dialysis 3 times a week. Bragg is optimistic because he has had the opportunity to live his life. He is now a proud father of Treysaun, 4; and twins, Tayden and Tavion, who are almost 2.
According to the Kidney Foundation, due to high rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, African Americans have an increased risk of developing kidney failure and requiring dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant to sustain life.
African Americans need to be aware of these risk factors and visit their doctor or clinic regularly to check their blood sugar, blood pressure, urine protein and kidney function.
The incidence of kidney failure per million population is 998 in African Americans, compared with 273 in white Americans. African Americans constitute about 29 percent of all patients treated for kidney failure in the U.S., but only about 14 percent of the overall U.S. population. The incidence rate of diabetic end stage kidney failure has increased steadily among African Americans.
African Americans also develop kidney failure at an earlier age than white Americans. The mean age for African-Americans at the start of treatment for kidney failure is 56 years, compared with 66 in white Americans.
The death rates per 100,000 population from high blood pressure is 15.6 for white males, 51.1 for black males, 14.3 for white females and 37.7 for black females.
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in African Americans. The prevalence of diabetes in African Americans is much higher than in white Americans. Approximately 14.7 percent of all African Americans over 20 years of age (3.7 million) have diabetes. On average, African Americans are twice as likely to have diabetes as white Americans of similar age.
National surveys show that the number of cases of diabetes among African Americans has doubled. Yet, about a third of the diabetes cases among African Americans are undiagnosed.
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Many African Americans may be unaware of the connection between high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. Reports indicate that about 43 percent of African Americans who are on dialysis were not aware they had kidney failure until about one week before starting dialysis.For more information on kidneys and kidney disease, visit www.kidney.org.
Bragg agrees that African Americans need to take better care of themselves. “It is hard to talk about how I feel because I have to keep going, especially for my babies and my music. We need to not let the myth of organ donation ruin other lives. There needs to be education. I was a healthy 22-year-old. If it can happen to me it can happen to anyone,” said Bragg.
