On a Mission to Inspire

A couple months after she was born, Shechinah Butler was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a liver disease that affects the bile ducts and typically occurs in infants.

Although from Jacksonville, Shechinah was listed to wait for a liver transplant through Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital, one of the nearest hospitals for the procedure at the time. Shechinah received her transplant when she was one-year-old, and she’s more than 23 years post-transplant.

“Life after my transplant was and has been very good,” Shechinah said. “I’ve had little to no complications. I haven’t had any major hospitalizations, and I only take one anti-rejection medication.”

Shechinah graduated from Robert E. Lee High School and attended Bethune-Cookman University, a historically black college and university (HBCU) in Daytona Beach, Florida, where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in gerontology, the study of aging. She currently works in the activities department of an assisted living facility near Jacksonville Beach.

“My grandma inspired me to work with the elderly,” Shechinah said. “I enjoy my job. I love the interactions I have with the elderly, and it’s interesting being able to hear their stories. I have what some consider to be an ‘old soul.’”

Following college, Shechinah decided she wanted to get more involved in educating the community about the life-saving effects of organ donation, so she reached out to LifeQuest Organ Recovery Services to be trained as an ambassador.

“My goal is for people to become more informed about how important organ donation is,” Shechinah said. “I want them to do their research on the subject and fully understand how impactful it is. I mainly want to bring more education to the African American community, and I want to inspire others to see organ donation as a second chance at life. It’s been a second chance at life for me.”