Patient stories: How a living donor gave Alonda Gray a new lease on life

Alonda Gray was diagnosed with diabetes at age 17, but her condition was uncontrolled for many years. As she aged, having two children and living life as a busy mom, her kidneys began to decline in function. Finally, she was told dialysis was the only way to maintain enough function for her to survive.

After some time on dialysis, Alonda Gray’s nurses and care team with Prisma Health told her she was a good candidate for a kidney transplant. Alonda’s blood type, B-positive, meant she could be facing a wait time of 5 to 8 years.

In a stroke of sheer good fortune, a young woman in Connecticut turned out to be the same blood type as Alonda and felt called to be an altruistic, or living, donor. Prisma Health’s transplant team worked with the young woman in Connecticut and her own medical providers to receive the donor kidney, transplant it into Alonda’s body and then provide her with the ongoing post-surgical care that would give her the best chance.

Today, Alonda Gray has a new kidney and a new lease on life. Her team at Prisma Health was as excited as she was to give her back the time with her children she wanted most.