Rashida Flowers is a patient who was in chronic kidney failure.
History[]
Rashida had had diabetes for years. She managed it well until she visited Thailand, where she got really sick and was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. She was at the hospital after losing the access port she had for dialysis. Due a clotting disorder, they had trouble getting access and were attempting her last possible site. She was a social media influencer and filmed much of her examination. While speaking to Winston, she told him she wasn't on the list for a kidney transplant because she'd been told she wasn't eligible. Winston looked into this and found out that because Rashida is Black, there was a multiplier applied to her eGFR, which made it seem like her kidneys were functioning better than they were. Without the multiplier, she would have qualified. Winston went to Rashida's nephrologist, Alicia Krause, and asked her about it and she said she'd review the case. When they had to pull Rashida's port shortly after it was place due to superior vena cava syndrome, Winston went back to Krause an insisted she be placed on the transplant list. When Rashida woke up, he was able to tell her she'd been put on the list. She then went live with her doctors to tell her followers the news. ("Some Kind of Tomorrow")
Soon afterward, a kidney became available for Rashida. She excitedly told her followers and prepared for the surgery. However, the overworked hospital HVAC system went out, which meant all surgeries were cancelled and the kidney needed to be redirected to the next patient on the list. Instead of allowing that to happen, Owen and Winston called Ben and had him bring the PRT to the hospital so they could use the OR inside for Rashida's surgery. It went well and Rashida's new kidney immediately started working. Rashida woke up excited to be able to start traveling again. ("Hotter Than Hell")
Relationships[]
Familial[]
Her mother and brother both died of kidney failure secondary to diabetes.
Career[]
She is a social media influencer. She previously blogged about her travels, but after her health declined, she shifted to streaming and posting about her medical treatment.
Gallery[]
Episodic[]
Episode Stills[]
Notes and Trivia[]
- Her case is another example of racial inequity in medicine as the standard test used to confirm transplant-eligibility unfairly disqualified her from the procedure given the racial bias in the testing.[1]
- This is the kind of case that Dr. Avery as the new head of the Catherine Fox Foundation is looking to correct in its mission to have equity in medicine.[2]
Appearances[]
| Grey's Anatomy, Season 18 | |||||
| #01 | "Here Comes the Sun" | #08 | "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" | #15 | "Put It to the Test" |
| #02 | "Some Kind of Tomorrow" | #09 | "No Time to Die" | #16 | "Should I Stay or Should I Go" |
| #03 | "Hotter Than Hell" | #10 | "Living In a House Divided" | #17 | "I'll Cover You" |
| #04 | "With a Little Help From My Friends" | #11 | "Legacy" | #18 | "Stronger Than Hate" |
| #05 | "Bottle Up and Explode!" | #12 | "The Makings of You" | #19 | "Out for Blood" |
| #06 | "Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)" | #13 | "Put the Squeeze On Me" | #20 | "You Are the Blood" |
| #07 | "Today Was a Fairytale" | #14 | "Road Trippin'" | ||
References[]
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