Hidden History Uncovered:
Johnnie Lee Patterson: The first black man to travel across country on a portable dialysis machine
When I was a child, and even more so now as an adult. I think about all the great men and women who’ve done extraordinary things that have changed the cores of history, but who have never had a chance to see how their willingness to take a leap of faith changed the way many live their lives today.
Today that changes for one brave hidden figure.
Johnnie Lee Patterson (1937- 1988) was the first black man to travel across the country on a portable dialysis machine. He was a Husband, Father, Jack of many trades, a pioneer ahead of his time, but my favorite title is grandpa.
Going across the country has been a luxury for many American families for many years. No worries aside from the many bathroom breaks, food stops, and , "are we there yet's?"
But for one family of four in the early 80's It was nothing short of a miracle.
My Grandfather had chronic kidney failure and depended on hemodialysis to keep him alive.
