The Wind Beneath My Wings

On February 5, 2026, Livingstone College celebrated its 147th Founder’s Day. Livingstone is known as a private historically black Christian college in Salisbury, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The event marked the return of Dr. Anthony J. Davis, president of Livingstone College who had a kidney transplant two months earlier.

Before his surgery, Dr. Davis could hardly see or stand up straight. But now, he is back at Livingstone to honor the donor who saved his life-Heather Patrek. At the Founder’s Day service, Ms. Patrek was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters due to her selfless act of kindness.

While reading Black Enterprise Magazine, Ms. Patrek discovered that Dr. Davis needed a new kidney and decided to donate her own kidney because she wanted him to live and continue his work at the college. But here’s where the difficulty and even systematic racism began. Dr. Davis stated that about 80 people with his blood type signed up to donate their kidney, but no traction was gained. He even had two previous living donors identified through another institution, but he was not medically cleared to receive those kidneys.

The medical system literally prevented him from receiving a kidney. As Dr. Davis noted, “the system is rigged for Black and Brown people.” When his donor decided to donate her kidney because they genetically matched, Dr. Davis was medically registered at Atrium while his donor was registered at Duke University Hospital. Her hospital claimed they could not locate Dr. Davis, but Ms. Patrek persisted and eventually he was located.

Ironically, Dr. Davis received his transplant on November 13th, which was World Kindness Day. In addition, the date was significant as well because he is the 13th president of Livingstone College. I believe that this date is greater than irony itself, it serves as a divine symbol that the Creator God wanted Dr. Davis to live to continue transforming the lives of young people at his institution. To me, the bond that Dr. Davis and Ms. Patrek now share reminds me of lyrics from the song, “Wind Beneath My Wings”: “Did you ever know that you are my hero, everything that I would like to be. I can fly higher than an eagle because you are the wind beneath my wings.”

Ethically speaking,

Obiora N. Anekwe