Colorado man getting new lease on life thanks to wife's donation through paired kidney exchange program
Colorado resident Heston Gray thought he was dealing with a bad sinus infection.
"My joints were really stiff. I was having trouble going up and down stairs," recalled Gray. "It just kept getting worse."
Within days, Heston was in the hospital. In total, he spent 33 days in the hospital, including four days in the ICU and three on a ventilator.
"It's a little weird to wake up in ICU, strapped to the bed with a tube in your throat," said Heston.
"It was pretty horrifying. I'll be honest. It was pretty scary," said his wife Holly.
Heston was diagnosed with ANCA Vasculitis, an auto-immune disease that was affecting his kidneys.
"It was pretty traumatic for me. I went from being completely healthy with my kidneys to 30 days later they weren't working at all. I was in denial about it for a long time."
Heston was released from the hospital and began receiving in-center hemodialysis three days a week at Davita Kidney Center. His wife Holly was by his side the entire time.
"I came with him for each of his treatments," Holly remembered. "I got inspired about how fascinating it was to learn what the kidneys do. It was fascinating to me."
While Holly was supporting Heston, she began talking to Heston's patient care technicians.
"I was like, 'You know, this job looks kind of cool.' I've though about health care in the past and they were like, 'you should apply for a job.'"
So she did. And in September of 2024, Holly traded in her keyboard for scrubs and left her 25-year career in the mortgage finance industry and joined the team at Davita as a patient care technician.
"I'm certainly not the one sitting in the chair, but it might bring me a little closer to understanding what he is going through," said Holly.
One year later, in September of 2025, Holly and Heston's bond grew even stronger when Holly donated her kidney through a paired exchanged transplant program boosting Heston's odds of getting a transplant in the next three months by 90%. His previous wait time had been three years. Holly wasn't a match for Heston, but the program allows two donors to essentially swap recipients. So Holly's kidney went to someone else in need, and Heston's wait time for a kidney was dramatically reduced.
"Right away I said, 'it's a no brainer. I will go in and donate,'" Holly remembered.
With Holly's surgery complete she and Heston continue to wait knowing that soon it will be his turn.
"I feel lucky that I could have been gone and missed out on time with my wife and kids. I feel like there must be something more for me to do that all these people are trying to help me keep going forward," said Heston.
Heston and Holly continue to lead active lives. Holly ran a 50K race in August, just a month before donating. She is already eyeing a 15-mile trail run in December and has scheduled a half marathon for February. Heston has a goal of deadlifting 350 pounds once he receives his transplant.
According to Davita, there are currently more than 103,200 people waiting for a transplant in the United States and Holly and Heston are hoping that their story might inspire others to donate or register to become donors.
"My donating doesn't take away from my life," said Holly. "I still get to do all the things I want to do, and hopefully my kidney helps someone get their life back."