COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — The community came together at the Mt Tabor Baptist Church on Saturday to raise money for a woman fighting through her ongoing battle with diabetes.
Kogie Richardson has been on dialysis for seven years and has already had a kidney transplant.
That wasn't the only hurdle she would face. Now she is back on the transplant list after kidney rejection.
The Georgia Department of Public Health says "one million Georgians have diabetes with an additional 230,000 people who are unaware they have it."
For Columbus woman, Kogie Richardson, it's a battle she's been fighting for over 20 years. What started out as gestational diabetes, progressed into type-1 diabetes. Kogie had a kidney transplant in April. One month after surgery — her body rejected the kidney.
Her husband, Cleteus, decided to lift her spirits by organizing a benefit concert at their church.
"I'm just overjoyed that people came out for me and to support me and that my husband is a person that he did all this for me," said Kogie."
Kogie is back on dialysis, going into a clinic three times a week to receive her treatments. Cleteus says although each day isn't perfect, he will do whatever he can to support Kogie while she waits for her gift of life.
"It hurts pretty bad because you think you are on dialysis three times a week," said Cleteus. "We have to get up at 3 a.m. to get her there at 5 a.m. and you think you're getting away from all of that and then you find out that you have to go right back and do that again. So, I have to keep her spirit lifted up because she's taking it pretty hard. But it's going to be alright."
Kogie's was surrounded with love and worship songs, as they prayed for her through this difficult time. Her husband Cleteus is a musician and says the inspiration behind the benefit was simple: music brings people together.
Saturday's benefit concert aims to raise money for Kogie's medical bills, anti-rejection medication and additional costs.
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