Tonya Ingram—a poet, mental health advocate, and self-proclaimed “lupus warrior”—died on December 30, 2022, at the age of 31 after waiting 3 years for a kidney transplant, according to an article published in the Los Angeles Times. The author of three poetry books, Ms. Ingram was known for including themes of mental health and chronic illness in her writing—as well as chronicling her own journey with lupus in the hopes of building awareness for the condition. Beginning as a slam poet and Cofounder of SLAM! at New York University, she eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she toured with Da Poetry Lounge and launched herself into the performance community. She was also a vocal advocate for a medical system that better catered to patients waiting for donor organs, and had interviewed Representative Katie Porter (D-CA) in 2020 about the inadequacy of organizations responsible for obtaining donor organs, spoke out against the flaws of the transplantation system as well as disparities in health care for people of color, and dreamt of starting a movement to connect hospital patients with poetry and art. In the months before her death, Ms. Ingram experienced difficulty breathing and visited the hospital frequently—but was often sent home before recovering from her complications. After her death, many of her followers took to social media to share the positive influence she had on their lives. Currently, Ms. Ingram’s friends are raising money to cover her funeral costs and continue her advocacy mission for an organ donor system that better provides for patients in need of transplantation.
May 25, 2023