VIVIAN, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Dr. Jimmy Carroll, pastor of Greater Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, underwent dialysis three times a week for almost 20 years; his daughter is once again honoring his legacy by holding the 2nd annual Kidney Walk and kidney awareness campaign in Vivian on Sat., Aug. 26.
Veronica James said her father was an incredible person.
“He didn’t have much—he was a country preacher—but if he had it he’d give it to you,” said Veronica. “My mom (Virginia Carroll) told him once that if he ever won the lottery, she wanted him to give her her half first because she knew he was gonna give his part away.”
For 19 years, Dr. Carroll arrived at a dialysis center in Shreveport at 5 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. He was there for hours, having his blood cleaned and sharing scriptures to uplift others on dialysis.
Then, one day, Carroll decided the town of Vivian needed its own dialysis center.
“He believed God had him here for a reason, and he was gonna stick it out to the end. He said he was gonna do life to the best of his ability until God called him home,” remembered Veronica.
She said her dad worked hard to help get the dialysis center in Vivian, and he was the first patient there.
On James’ 50th birthday, family and friends took her out for the evening. That’s when the idea hit her.
James had been searching for some way to honor her father’s legacy, and when the conversation drifted to her God-sister’s recent experience with a Heart Walk, James felt something change inside of her.
James is preparing for the second annual Kidney Walk in honor of her father. She said she’s on a mission to raise money to help kidney research.
However, helping with public awareness of kidney disease signs is another component of the kidney walk.
“He was well known for helping the community,” said James. “He liked to help the less fortunate and always tried to help school kids get scholarships. Whatever people came to him for, if he couldn’t do it, he would figure out how to make it happen.”
An old-school love remembered
James said her father was raised to have a giving heart.
“My great-grandmother raised him to take care of others. If the next-door neighbor didn’t have something, they shared it with that neighbor. If one neighbor killed a hog, everyone in the neighborhood had meat. Nobody went hungry. They were poor, but they appreciated what they had.”
She said that’s why it’s so fitting to have this event—it’s her father still giving back to others, in a way. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
“When I listened to him talk about his childhood, he instilled that into us—his children. I try to pass it down to my children and their children.”
Last year, James hosted a kidney awareness gala called Wisdom and Rubies. The event intended to spread information about kidney disease.
Around 100 people came to the first kidney walk.
“I didn’t know many people would come, but he knew many people.”
2nd annual kidney walk in Vivian
The 2nd annual 5K Kidney Walk and Run in memory of Dr. Jimmy L. Carroll will take place at the Legion Hills MLK Community Center, 1004 South Pardue Street, Vivian, La. on Sat., Aug. 26. Registration is between 7 and 8 a.m., and the walk begins at 8:30 a.m.
James said registration fees are $35 and include a thank-you gift bag.
Refreshments will be served, and door prizes will be given away.
For more information, call Veronica Jones at (318) 205-2936 or Keuntae Jones at (318) 344-4808.
