An Alabama woman gave the gift of life to an officer who had arrested her 8 years ago.
Most wanted
Jocelynn James, is a recovered drug addict and former member of “Franklin’s Most Wanted.” Between 2007-2012, she was arrested 16 times for theft and drug charges. She was in a very dark place and didn’t know if she would survive. “I was just living a really bad life, doing a lot of really bad things that I shouldn’t have had no business doing, and I was just a really lost person,” James said.
James was arrested almost a decade ago by Terrell Potter, a former officer with Phil Campbell Police Department. He said James was going through a difficult place in her life. “She was out running crazy, stealing and doing drugs and things she shouldn’t be doing,” Potter said. “I locked her up a couple of times.”
Finally sober
James said she sorted her life out on Nov. 5, when she will celebrate ten years out of jail and eight years sober. “I was sick of living that life, and I wanted to do something different,” James said. She attributes it to Potter saving her life by arresting her and leading her to turn her life around. “I’m perfect, I’m healthy, and I had no idea that I was that healthy,” James said.
In 2019, Potter was told by Doctors that his kidney was failing, only functioning at 5%. He was told that he had to wait for 7-8 years for a kidney. “We began praying about getting the right kidney,” Potter said. “We were looking all over the Southeast.” What Potter did not know was that the perfect match was only two miles away from him.
Kidney donation
Jocelynn James, was scrolling on her phone on Facebook, when she got to know that Potter needed a kidney. “I just threw my phone down and the holy spirit told me right then that I had that man’s kidney.” After undergoing some tests she learned that they were a perfect match.
“If you asked me 100 names of who may give me a kidney, her name would have not been on the list,” Potter said. “It’s just unbelievable that she was willing to do that.” On July 21, 2019 Potter had a successful kidney transplant. “All the numbers were great. It started working from the time it was put in,” Potter said.
He considers James like another daughter. “It’s made a great relationship and a bond between us that can go forever. There’s no doubt about that,” Potter said. “Her giving me a kidney, It extended my life.”
James gives credit to her faith said that she was humbled to know God used a piece of her, which she abused for so long, to extend someone’s life. “God restored me from the inside out, and to be able to give another human a kidney to extend his life is really rewarding,” James said.
James has a non-profit The Place of Grace, where she helps get women treatment. “I want people to realize that there is help out there for them,” James said. “It doesn’t matter what happens in your life. You can always turn it around.”
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