Sherie Yvette Withers-Banks was healthy until February 1998 when she was diagnosed with lupus, a condition that turned into a nightmare costing her a kidney. Though her brother donated a kidney for her, it is now failing, prompting a renewed national search for a viable kidney.
Though statistically facing an early death because of her disease and kidney condition, Withers-Banks remains upbeat and positive. She is defying medical predictions every day and constantly views kidney donor lists for a transplant match.
To aid in her mission of finding a kidney, a World Lupus Day fundraiser will be held on Friday, May 17, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Simeon Alumni Village Hall, 820 W. 89th St.
In addition to serving tacos and tequila, Withers-Banks will perform her iconic Whitney Houston renditions. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. For more information, call Shanelle Brandon at 312.731.0403.
In an exclusive interview with the Chicago Crusader on April 30, the 57-year-old Whitney Houston illusionist said, “I will never give up searching for a kidney donor.” She has been searching for a new kidney since December 2021, after the kidney donated by her brother began failing in December 2020.
Born on Chicago’s South Side, the stunning Whitney Houston lookalike, 5’9”, size 4, is a professional runway and print model. She graduated from St. John De LaSalle Elementary School at 102nd and Vernon in 1980.
She graduated from the Academy of Our Lady High School in 1984 and was on the Dean’s list at Olive-Harvey College where she received her Associate of Arts degree in 1987. She graduated from Chicago State University in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in dietetics. She also graduated from the Black-owned Cleo Johnson’s Modeling School.
Withers-Banks said she had never been sick before being diagnosed with lupus nephritis 26 years ago.
While medical statistics state those with this disease won’t be able to work long, she has defied those predictions, working as a nutritionist at the Chicago Family Health Center for 33 years. Interviewed on her way to get a mammogram, Withers-Banks said, “I got to keep healthy because when they call me for a kidney transplant, I got to be ready.” She is on the kidney list at Rush University Medical Center and also in Wisconsin.
“I’ve been told it will take from 5-7 years to get a kidney in Illinois. That is why I am pushing to get a living kidney donor,” she said. It has been a long 26 years since she was first diagnosed with lupus nephritis that led to kidney failure. She is looking forward to celebrating her 58th birthday in December.
It was 19 years ago when her brother, Jihad Salahuddin, donated to his sister. He is seven years younger than Withers-Banks. At the time, her brother was living in Peoria. Withers-Banks’ doctors at then-Rush Presbyterian Hospital sent all of her medical tests to her brother’s health providers and they came back diagnosed as a “perfect match.”
However, that dream fizzled and the national search for a kidney has resumed. According to the National Library of Medicine (NIH), lupus affects 1 in 537 young African American women.
The Lupus in Minority Populations: Nature vs. Nurture (LUMINA) study concluded that African American lupus patients are more likely to have organ system involvement, more active disease, and lower levels of social support compared with white lupus patients.
According to NIH, a 2014 study found that women from racial and ethnic minority groups tend to develop lupus at a younger age, experience more serious complications, and have higher mortality rates.
According to a Lupus Foundation of America funded study, overall, lupus was among the top 20 leading causes of death in females ages 5-64. Among Black and Hispanic women, lupus ranked 5th in the 15-24 years, 6th in the 25-34 years, and 8th-9th in the 35-44 years age groups, after excluding the three common external injury causes of death from analysis.
Watching Withers-Banks’ performances and her upbeat spirit, it is hard to tell she is fighting for her life every day. Her performance at the 26th Black Heritage Awards on August 28 was outstanding and at times breathtaking. It mirrors her fight to live and continue her search for a kidney donor.
When asked what her wish is for 2024, Withers-Banks said, “I want a new kidney, and I want to be the face of the Gift of Hope and a face for lupus. I am hoping both of those organizations will use me on their billboards or a magazine cover. I just want to get out there and tell people about both lupus and kidney transplants. I want to help educate people on these issues,” she said.
Rather than having outside fundraising sponsors, this time Withers-Banks is hosting her own “Tribute to Whitney Houston” dinner party, at 7 p.m., Friday, July 19, at the Elks Lodge, 4428 Midlothian Turnpike, Crestwood, IL.
Tickets are $50; they can be purchased by calling or texting event specialist Lady Ingra at 708.465.2986.
