Growing up, Lorrinda Gray-Davis and William “Billy” Gray were always close. With only a year and two months separating them in age, they would share all kinds of things, from toys to friends to even a room. But now they also share a common connection that few siblings experience: they are both liver transplant recipients.
Growing up, Lorrinda Gray-Davis and William “Billy” Gray were always close. With only a year and two months separating them in age, they would share all kinds of things, from toys to friends to even a room. But now they also share a common connection that few siblings experience: they are both liver transplant recipients.
Seven months after moving back to Oklahoma from Arizona, Lorrinda received shocking news. She was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer and end-stage liver disease. Her primary care doctor recommended her to Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute at INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center to undergo more testing and discuss next steps.
“After establishing care with the liver transplant team, Lorrinda realized that her only curative option was a liver transplantation,” says Elias Spyrou, M.D., a transplant hepatologist at INTEGRIS Health Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute.
During her transplant process, Lorrinda and her family found out she had Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic condition affecting the lungs and liver. Since Lorrinda and Billy were half-siblings, they didn’t think anything of it. Until Billy started getting sick.
Billy’s doctors at the time contributed his sickness to arthritis. However, they later found he also had end-stage liver disease and would need a transplant.
“That was very overwhelming for me as a sister,” Lorrinda recalls. “I know exactly what was going to happen and what he was going to go through.”
Lorrinda recommended Billy and his wife speak with her transplant coordinator at INTEGRIS Health Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute. Once he met with the physicians and care team, Lorrinda says she breathed a sigh of relief.
After running further testing, Dr. Patel found that Billy had metabolic dysfunction associated with steatohepatitis, including Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. He was then approved to receive a liver transplant.
“When they told me I had to have a liver transplant, I was stunned,” Billy admits. “I was thinking about my family and asking, ‘why is this happening to me?’ But I felt like if Lorrinda can do it, I can do it, too.”
Billy received his liver on May 27, 2024. Lorrinda stayed with Billy through it all, from when he was getting ready for surgery to post-operation when she would feed him ice chips. He finally understood why she wanted ice chips so badly after surgery. Now, they keep in touch with their recovery journeys, comparing symptoms and stories daily.
Vivek Kohli, M.D., the section chief of abdominal transplant at INTEGRIS Health Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute, was moved by Lorrinda’s and Billy’s relationship. “Her own brother was so fortunate to have her by his side! The connection they share—offering each other support throughout their recovery journeys—is truly heartwarming.”
Billy was incredibly thankful to have Lorrinda in his corner, helping him navigate his transplant process by offering guidance and assurance every day.
“I don’t think people understand how helpful it was knowing someone who also had a transplant, and it being someone as close to me as my sister,” Billy says. “As much as INTEGRIS Health does and the wonderful work they do, it made a huge difference to also have someone in my corner who knew the process and the people there.”
Through her experience, Lorrinda was appointed as a National Board Member of Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO). She then founded the Oklahoma chapter of TRIO where she can ensure patients have a strong support system as they undergo the transplant process. She currently serves as the president of TRIO and vice-chair of the Patient Affairs Committee for Organ Procurement Transplant Network.
“You’re talking to doctors and family, but until you talk to another patient that’s been through it or is going through it do you feel like someone actually understands what you’re going through,” Lorrinda explains. That is why she developed a peer-to-peer group for patients.
TRIO-Oklahoma hosts weekly virtual peer-to-peer support group meetings for transplant recipients and those on the transplant journey. To learn more, visit the TRIO-Oklahoma website.
Oklahoma's leading liver transplant program, serving patients across the region.
