Actor Erròn Jay’s Kidney Transplant and His Mission to Inspire Living Donors

The day of Erròn’s diagnosis, he zoned out as he was going about his daily activities. 

“I remember waking up,” he said. “Then I was suddenly at my desk with a bowl of cereal. I don’t remember how I got there.”

It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Erròn worried that his memory lapses were caused by the virus. He asked his friend to take him to the emergency room to get tested. 

“They confirmed I didn’t have COVID-19 and admitted me immediately,” he said. “My blood pressure was dangerously high.”

Then a kidney doctor delivered unexpected news. 

“He told me that my kidneys were failing,” Erròn said. “I had no idea what he meant. It felt like they were speaking a different language.”

Learn more about the different stages of kidney disease. 

Erròn’s healthcare team worked quickly to start him on emergency dialysis. 

“As they put an emergency catheter in my neck to start me on hemodialysis, people were screaming in other rooms, dying of COVID-19,” he said. “It didn’t feel real.” 

The next morning, Erròn’s team moved the catheter to his chest.

“Four days later, I was discharged and started in-center hemodialysis,” he said. “It was that abrupt. One minute, I thought I was healthy, the next, I’m in a dialysis chair.”

And the pandemic made everything harder. But he wasn’t alone. 

“My mother flew from my hometown, Kansas City, to LA. I didn’t want her to catch COVID, so it stressed me out,” Erròn said. “Thankfully, she made it here safely and was incredibly helpful.”

Learn more about treatment options for kidney failure. 

Soon after starting dialysis, Erròn began the process of getting on the kidney transplant waitlist.

But it wasn’t simple, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, hospitals were overwhelmed, and many transplant programs were delayed. 

“Even under normal circumstances, the wait could be long for me because of my blood type,” Erròn said. “I moved from LA to my hometown, Kansas City, Missouri, to improve my chances on the waitlist.”

Since Erròn’s hometown has a smaller population, his time on the waitlist would be shorter than a larger area like LA. 

Unfortunately, the wait time was still five years. That’s when reality hit Erròn. 

 “I couldn’t just wait and hope," he said. "I had to start searching for a living donor.”

Watch videos from recipients to learn how to find a living donor. 

Erròn took action. He researched how to share his story, created social media posts, and began posting. 

“The dialysis chair became my office,” he said. “I did everything I could to save my life.”

Part of that was reaching out to his friends. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erron Jay (@erronjay)

“Zendaya is my good friend. We worked together on the TV show K.C. Undercover. Now she’s like a little sister,” Erròn said. “She shared my story on her social media, and the impact was immediate.” 

More friends with a presence, including Cedric the Entertainer, Lena Waithe, and Yvette Nicole Brown, also stepped up to share his story. Within 24 hours, Erròn’s transplant center received 97 calls from people interested in starting the kidney donor evaluation.

“My dialysis nurse asked who I was. I explained I’m an actor from LA,” he said. “I know just how fortunate I am to have the connections I do.”

Soon after, Amy, a childhood friend whom he hadn’t spoken to in fifteen years, saw his story and stepped forward to donate. 

“She was a great match,” Erròn said. “But she was disqualified for being slightly over the weight limit for her height.”

Learn more about living donor qualifications. 

Erròn was grateful Amy tried at all. He thanked her and was happy to be reconnected with her. 

“Then, without telling me, she lost seven pounds and was approved to donate,” Erròn said. “Another hurdle was learning her kidney was too small for me.” 

But Amy was not deterred. 

“Her husband is a surgeon. She remembered a conversation they had about paired kidney exchange years ago,” Erròn said. “She asked the transplant team if we could do that instead.”

A paired kidney exchange allows people to receive a transplant even if their living donor isn’t a match. Instead, donors switch recipients so each person gets a compatible kidney.

“In July 2021, after about a year and a half on dialysis, I received a kidney transplant from an unknown donor,” Erròn said. “Amy’s gift also kicked off a kidney chain that saved not only my life but two others.”

While Erròn doesn’t know who exactly saved his life, they, along with Amy, have his eternal gratitude. 

Considering living donation? Talk with an NKF Peer mentor who donated a kidney. 

During his donor search, Erròn also connected with Erin and Brianna, founders of Team Be More, a nonprofit that helps people find living kidney donors by sharing their stories. 

“They went above and beyond to help me and inspired me to get involved myself,” he said. “After recovery, I started sharing my story at different conferences for healthcare professionals and other patients.”

That advocacy grew into the 12 Donors, 12 Months (12N12) campaign, which encourages more people, especially Black men, to consider living kidney donation.

“I learned that Black men donate the lowest number of kidneys. I want to help change that,” Erròn said. “But this campaign isn’t about pressure. It’s about education, compassion, and giving people the facts so they can decide if donation is right for them.”

12N12 is gaining momentum, with one person already donating their kidney as a direct result of the campaign. 

“Our goal is to inspire 12 people to donate in 2026. Even if we save this one life, we’ve been successful,” Erròn said. “That's one more person who's going to be here with more time to live life to the fullest.”

Ready to take the next step? Learn how to begin the kidney donor process.