From Cancer Survivor to Kidney Transplant Recipient: Stacy Hobson’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness
There are testimonies that unfold over time, and then there are testimonies where, looking back, the hand of God is unmistakable. Stacy Hobson’s life reflects the latter. A blood cancer survivor, kidney transplant recipient, business owner, author, and founder of a nonprofit ministry, her story is not about endurance alone. It is about trust, obedience, and yielding fully to the will of God.
When asked where she most clearly sees God showing up for her after everything she has survived, Stacy points to a moment far from home. “I most clearly see God showing up for me after I went to Turkey and visited the House of Mary,” she shared. “This is the place Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the disciple John last lived. Outside is the prayer wall where I wrote my prayer asking God to heal my body and I prayed that my desires align with His will.”
She recalls leaving with a peace she could not explain. What she did not know at the time was that, during that same season, her future kidney donor was undergoing testing. “They found out later that I was the perfect match,” Stacy said. “I saw how my prayers went from my mouth to God’s ears and from God’s ears to my donor’s heart. They asked her what made her give, and she said it was because God told her to. She was simply being obedient.”
Stacy lived with Stage Five kidney disease for more than eight years without dialysis. Trusting God during that season required intentional, daily discipline. “I had to renew my mind daily with prayer, scriptures, and brief sermons,” she said. “If I did not take those actions, this disease would have consumed me.”
In August 2025, Stacy received a life saving kidney transplant from an altruistic donor. That moment shifted her understanding of God’s provision and timing. “There is a song by Dewayne Woods called ‘Let Go and Let God’ that summarizes my thoughts perfectly,” she shared. “‘As soon as I stopped worrying how my story ends, I let go and I let God have His way. That’s when things start happening.’”
She explained that full submission required more than words. “When I fully submitted to God’s will, not just with my words but my actions, I was obedient and broke strongholds that were not of God,” she said. “When I trusted and obeyed God completely, He rewarded my obedience and faith in His time.” Even while facing serious health challenges, Stacy continued building her real estate brokerage, J Hunter Realty, which she founded in 2005. “I commanded my morning,” she said. “I started the day with God and ended the day with God.”
She also took a holistic approach to managing her health. “I researched and took a holistic approach along with medicines to counter my symptoms so I would not miss a beat,” she shared.
The birth of Yield, Heal and Thrive came during one of the most defining moments of Stacy’s life. “When I was on the transplant table, there were so many things going through my mind,” she said. “I was so grateful for my donor to make such a selfless sacrifice.”
At first, she wanted to keep the experience private. That changed quickly. “The Holy Spirit convicted me,” she said. “How would God get the glory if I did not share my story?” At that moment, Yield, Heal and Thrive was born. “I wanted to share with others how the Lord unraveled His master plan in my life,” she explained. “There are others going through what I went through. My prayer is that they will yield to His will before anything else.”
Through her nonprofit, Stacy supports kidney donors and recipients both spiritually and practically. “Kidney disease affects you mentally, physically, and spiritually,” she said. “I know firsthand how hard it is to heal when you are worried about money or when you have not been taught about prayer or even know God.”
She points to Jesus’ example. “As I follow Jesus’ example, He met people where they were,” she said. “He fed them when they were hungry. He fulfilled their needs. Then once He fulfilled their needs, He introduced them to the kingdom of heaven.”
She believes faith plays a role medicine alone cannot. “Unless God ordains the food and medicine, nothing will happen,” she shared. “Faith can go where doctors and medicine cannot.” Stacy feels a strong calling to educate communities, particularly communities of color, about kidney disease. “I know to check my breasts every month, and I know to get a mammogram every year,” she said. “Breast cancer organizations have done an amazing job spreading awareness. I want that same awareness for kidney disease.”
She noted that although African Americans make up 12 percent of the population, they represent over 33 percent of kidney disease cases and are three times more likely to progress to End Stage Renal Disease. “Our diet and lifestyle matter more than many of us realize,” she said. “It breaks my heart when people follow medical advice and still learn too late that dialysis or a transplant is their only option.”
Her prayer is simple. “I pray that no one else fills my shoes,” she said. “God says His people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. I pray to be that instrument He uses to warn as many as I can.”
Stacy’s upcoming book blends medical truth with faith and firsthand experience, including expert insight from Dr. Vasanthi Balaraman, nephrologist and Medical Director of Living Donor Kidney Transplant at Methodist Institute. “I pray that my book becomes a guide for others who are going through something right now,” she said. “I share the real actions I took, what I did right, what I did wrong, and everything in between.” Her hope is that readers grow closer to God.
“We didn’t create ourselves. We can’t fix ourselves,” she said. “I pray others will get to know God and His will for their life.”
When fear or exhaustion threatened to take over, Stacy remained anchored. “I yield to His will,” she said. “I accepted His will no matter what that meant. To live is Christ and to die is gain. Either way, I am with Christ. That removed every fear that I had.”
For those currently waiting on healing or a miracle, her message is gentle but clear. “Yield to His will,” she said. “Actively work on healing the mind, body, and soul. Faith without works is dead. We must actively do the work, discipline ourselves, trust, and obey God.”
When asked to complete the sentence, “My life is a testimony, the message God wants people to hear is,” Stacy’s answer was simple.
“Trust and obey. You cannot have one without the other.”
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