MURRELLS INLET, SC- Cindy Sellers started selling hand-crafted jewelry just over a year ago. Her booth called “Shug’s by the Inlet,” sits right next to Drunken Jacks on the Marsh Walk. “Shug” is short for sugar, which she says is her nick name.
Sellers makes jewelry out of shells and recycled materials. The business not only lets her be creative, it allows her to educate people on living organ donation.
Sellers donated her kidney to her ex-husband Jerry five years ago, after he was diagnosed with renal failure.
“The reward of having him around for our boys was far greater than any pain that would be involved,” she said.
Sellers said Jerry was her best friend and giving him a kidney was returning a favor.
“This man gave me my self esteem , this man gave me everything that is good about me,” said Sellers.
The transplant was a success, but Jerry died less than a year later from cancer.
“He died and a part of me died,” stated Sellers.
Despite the outcome, Sellers said she doesn’t regret donating her kidney. She said the transplant had an immediate impact of Jerry’s quality of life with little cost to her.
“If God gave me four kidneys, I’d already have two of them gone right now.”
She decided to make it her life’s mission to bring awareness to living organ donation. She started Shug’s by the Inlet in memory of Jerry Sellers and 100% of the proceeds go toward helping patients and donors during the transplant process.
To donate visit Shug’s by the Inlet’s Facebook page or contact Cindy Sellers at c.sellers.2@hotmail.com
Click here to become a donor or call (800) 936-1627
