Tucsonan gets fresh start with a new kidney after battling kidney failure for 34 years

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Isiah Savage was first told his kidneys were failing when he was 16. But his kidney issues started when he was born.

"I originally had kidney issues when I was born, so it's always been an issue," Savage said. "When I was 16, I went through a fairly traumatic event, which had acute kidney failure. I was supposed to pass away a few years later; they gave me until I was 19 or 20 at the time."

At 16, Savage decided to live his life, doing what he wanted before he couldn't. But he eventually received some good news.

"I talked to a doctor and switched my diet up, and a lot of other things," he said. "(I) went vegetarian for several years, and my kidney function returned, surprisingly."

Savage eventually met and married his wife Katie, but it was only a matter of time until his kidney problems came back.

"Me and Katie moved up to Minnesota, and then back out to here. At that time, (I) started seeing a doctor at Banner, and my kidneys started failing. That was about three, four years ago. I went from 35% function to 5% when they put me on the dialysis," Savage said.

And while Savage didn't take the news hard, Katie was not going to sit around and wait.

"I wrote the letter and put it on Facebook," Katie said.

Heather Wallace, Katie's coworker at Sycamore Elementary School in Corona De Tucson, answered the call.

"I was going through Facebook that evening, and I just saw the post. I was like, 'Okay, I have to do this right now.' So, I just filled it out as soon as I saw it," Wallace said.

Wallace had to undergo a barrage of tests, to confirm she was a match.

And after a successful surgery, Isiah and Heather are both recovering, forever bonded.

Katie will be forever grateful.

"There is nothing that she could ask for that the answer would be 'No.' She gave me my husband back," says Katie.