Today we’d like to introduce you to Davalon Gray.
Hi Davalon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m from Forkland,Al. The oldest of 5 kids being girls (I’m the only boy) I attended Warrior Academy all throughout high school. I also attend Stillman college and arts Institute of Atlanta where I studyed in media production. Take you back to where it all started in the year of 91 where I was diagnosed at a young age with Triad Syndrome, or Eagle-Barrett Syndrome, which occurs in one of 4,000 births, generally males.
Triad Syndrome involved deficient abdominal muscles and urinary tract abnormalities that result from severe urethral obstruction in fetal life. Most infants with this condition doesn’t survive. I’ve had reconstruction of the abdominal wall offers for cosmetic and function benefits I have no abdominal muscles and therefore no muscle control. I had multiple problems associated with my kidneys, bladder and urethra as well as pulmonary issues.
My mom ( Vanessa Gray-Bryant) first discovered I had health issues during an ultrasound and was told I would be in a vegetative state if carried to full term. My mom told doctors abortion was not an option and I was born at Bryan Whitfield Memorial Hospital. After my birth, Dr. Maurice Fitz-Gerald sent me to the University of South Alabama Hospital where i remained for six months.
While at USA Hospital, I was on oxygen and a heart monitor for some time. It was a slow process to take me off. I was in a body cast for two months and wore a back brace up until i was 2years old. As an infant my body was bent backwards because of no abdominal muscles and my body had to be reconstructed. i also had surgeries to tighten some of the muscle walls and we knew then I would need a kidney in the future . Going to children’s Hospital of Birmingham for frequent visits as a child. so when I turned 18 I started going to UAB Hospital in Birmingham where I got on the kidney transplant list, while visiting UAB every 2-3 months I wasn’t showing any symptoms from problematic kidneys when checking my creatinine levels, which shows signify possible Kidney function. Doctor said I was at the point where I should have been on dialysis but my body wasn’t showing any symptoms so they kept me off and watched me closely
Things changed in 2015 We had went out of town for a funeral and when I got home things began changing, I woke up one night dripping wet and at one point my body locked up. That’s when I started dialysis. Dialysis helped helped a lot ( Davita White Bluff in Demopolis,Al) is where I was taken, so now at this point I’m in desperate need of a kidney transplant. I was put on a waiting list for a kidney and as the youngest person on the list would be moved closer to the top. I stayed on Dialysis for exactly 1 year . i tell everyone i feel like my dialysis experience wasn’t for me even thought I needed it health wise, I was literally place there to uplift the patience’s that were already there to keep them smiling, laughing and uplifted. Being on dialysis for only 1 year is a blessing
In December 2016 I received a call to be at UAB as a possible back-up for an available kidney. If anything did not work out with the primary recipient, and I would be there ready for the transplant.
By the grace of God, everything went well for the primary recipient and I came home, I relied on my faith, knowing that my time was coming and that I was next .
Three weeks later, January of 2017 my time did come and I received a call to be the primary for an available kidney. my transplant required three separate surgeries: one to place the kidney, a second to reposition the kidney, and a third came when fluid was found that had to be drained.
After my first surgery I was up and walking but the third one was what wore out, After about three weeks I was ready to get going and do things, but my family helped keep me grounded and rested
Had I not gotten a kidney from the waiting list there was another shot at the transplant.
Before the transplant, my sister Kalyn, had already been evaluated and was ready to give me a kidney. But, God worked it out that my name was next on the list. I love her for that and I’m forever greatful , it takes a lot to make a decision like that . bring you up to speed I’m currently seeing doctors at UAB every year now and every thing is going great so far following the transplant. im coming up on my 9th year with having my new kidney . Im currently living in Greene County where I travel back and forth to Georgia with my clothing business (#4realtho clothing brand) and Acting in some projects doing (extra work) I had the opportunity to get call from Tyler Perry’s studio to be involved in a project but it was around the time I just had a major transplant and in and out of appointments timing wasn’t right. Im praying and manifesting. i get the opportunity again. this next chapter in my life is about to be amazing
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My life has been shaped by storms— both the ones that hit the world around me and the ones that tried to break me on the inside. I’ve experienced loss that cut deep from losing a cousin to depression we were like brothers , saying goodbye to two uncles and an aunt, and surviving a natural disaster that tore through my home while I was still inside it. Even when I was born with challenges from day one, and there were moments when the weight of everything made me feel like giving up.
But God!! Every hardship became a lesson. Every loss became a reminder to love and harder. Every moment I felt broken became a chance to rebuild stronger. I’ve learned that purpose can come from pain, and that survival is not just living through something — it’s learning from it and choosing to rise from it.
I stand as a testimony that even when life tries to bury you, with a little rain and storms in your life you can grow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Im the founder and visionary behind 4Realtho — 4 Real Elevation And Love Through Helping Others — an empowerment movement dedicated to uplifting kids and adults with disabilities. Drawing from my own lived experience as a person with a disability, I’ve made it my life’s work to remind others that their condition does not limit their destiny. My message is simple but life-changing you are greater than your circumstance.
With a blend of creativity, authenticity, and compassion, I uses my music, my acting, my comedy, and my fashion, and storytelling to speak life into people( which i also started a non-profit (#4realtho foundation- life beyond the machine) visiting diffent dialysis centers where I speak and give back) who often feel overlooked. My passion is to help individuals feel alive again — to feel seen, valued, and confident in who they are, no matter what obstacles they face. Through my clothing brand, I designs pieces that build self-esteem and encourage bold self-expression.
Rooted in resilience, My journey has shaped my purpose. Overcoming personal challenges taught me that joy and hope are still possible, and now dedicates myself to helping others discover that same truth. Whether im performing, mentoring, encouraging a child or adult , or making someone laugh, I live out the message I teache: greatness is already inside you — sometimes you just need someone to remind you.
4Realtho stands out because it is not just a brand, a movement, or a nonprofit — it is lived experience turned into purpose. What makes my organization different is:
You have a founder who has walked the journey and understands firsthand the emotional, physical, and social challenges of disability.
A message built on real-life inspiration, not theory. showing people what’s possible because I lived it myself.
The use of creativity as healing — music, acting, comedy, and fashion are used as tools to spark joy, boost confidence, and bring people back to life emotionally.
A focus on self-esteem — reminding individuals they can be stylish, expressive, and proud of who they are.
A heart-led approach, rooted in love, elevation, and real connection — not charity, but empowerment.
A movement for all ages — reaching children, teens, and adults with disabilities and also regular individuals and giving them a community that understands them.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is using my life to lift others up, especially people who feel overlooked, limited, or weighed down by what they’ve been through. I know what it feels like to face loss, disability, storms—both the kind that hit your body and the kind that hit your heart. I’ve lived through moments where giving up felt easier. But every time I survived another blow, I learned something: my pain had purpose.
That’s why it matters so much to me to encourage others. I want people to know they’re greater than their circumstances, that their story isn’t over, and that they can still rise. I want to be proof that you can go through hell and still have a fire inside you that drives to be anything you want to be.
What matters most to me is impact, Legacy, Purpose, Being the person I needed when I was going through . Because when you’ve survived what I’ve survived, you don’t just want to live , you want to make other people feel alive too
Pricing:
- Track suites $65
- hoodies $50
- crewneck $45
- Jersey, workout sets, T-shirt’s range from $20 and up
- Hats range from $20 and up
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam4realtho?igsh=MXNzOWV1N2R1aXk2Nw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davalon.gray?
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@4djhg?si=9fh-BP0eonoSBtNZ
