An American Fork family is calling their story a miracle—one that began during a missionary trip in Nauvoo and ended with a life-saving kidney transplant for a father in desperate need.
Ray Holdcraft, affectionately known as “Big Play Ray” from his days playing football at the University of Utah, had been battling kidney failure and urgently needed a transplant. His daughter, while serving a mission in Nauvoo back in 2020, made a connection that would unknowingly become part of his healing journey.
As Holdcraft’s condition worsened, his daughter turned to social media for help. That heartfelt plea reached Jill Burns, a friend she had made while on her mission. Burns had just been saying goodbye to her longtime friend Rob Dunlap, who had suffered a massive heart attack and was not expected to survive.
“I saw the post and remembered her dad needed a kidney. When Rob’s condition became clear, I wondered—could he help?” Burns recalled.
Rob Dunlap, described by his wife Allison as energetic, selfless, and the embodiment of a Good Samaritan, was in the prime of his life. His sudden health crisis came as a devastating shock.
“There was so much sorrow, but we needed something to hold on to—something meaningful,” said Carole George, Rob’s sister. “Donating his kidney was a way to turn grief into hope.”
Rob passed away on March 11. By the following morning, Ray was in surgery receiving Rob’s kidney.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Holdcraft said. “I’m so grateful to the Dunlap family. They lost someone so special, and that loss gave me a second chance.”
Ray’s wife, Lauren Holdcraft, called the timing and circumstances of the donation nothing short of divine.
“We feel overwhelmed by God’s mercy and the way He placed people in our lives at just the right time,” she said.
As for Allison Dunlap, she hopes to one day meet Ray in person.
“You’re carrying a piece of Rob with you,” she said. “He was a good man, and I know he’ll continue to serve you well.”
The Holdcraft and Dunlap families may have started on separate paths, but fate—and faith—brought them together in a way no one could have predicted.
