Stories of Hope: Woman donates kidney to friend in need

Three years ago, Laura Gray ran into her friend T.J. and noticed she looked very ill. That’s when T.J broke the news that she was in desperate need of kidney. “if you drove up on a train wreck and could help people and save them, you would, so to me it was a train wreck for T.J,” said Gray.

For Gray, it was a no-brainer to donate her kidney and she said the process was really simple. Gray works as a day-care instructor in Idaho Falls and within days she was back to her normal high energy self. “I think it was more hard for her honestly,” said Gray.

Laura and T.J. both grew up in the same neighborhood, same school in Idaho Falls. Gray said they weren’t super close because of their age difference but Gray was a part of T.J’s adoption process for her children and that brought them closer together. Although nothing quite compares to the bond they now share as kidney donors.

“she gets to experience being a mother, watching her kids graduate, and I’m really glad I got to give her that,” said Gray as she held back tears from telling her emotional experience with kidney donation.