March is National Kidney Month, a time to spread awareness about kidney disease and organ donation. According to a 2025 survey by OrganDonor.gov, respondents were more likely to support organ donation if they had signed up as an organ donor or if their family supported organ donation.
Josh Hout, who lost both kidneys to cancer, is receiving home hemodialysis four hours a day, five days a week while he waits for a chance to be placed on a transplant list.
Justin Robicheau reports - watch the video here:
Hout's health struggles began while he was working on drilling rigs in North Dakota.
"I was working on the drilling rigs in North Dakota, working derricks, and I was feeling weak didn't have much energy. So I got tested and my doctor told me that I was in stage five kidney failure, at which point I went and got some testing. They discovered cancer on my first kidney and arranged to have it removed," Hout said.
After his first kidney was removed, Hout waited three years to be considered for the transplant list. When he was ready to submit his application, doctors delivered more devastating news.
"They had done a cancer screening the day I was getting re referred to Utah and they had found cancer on my other kidney, and so they canceled the referral set up. The surgery went in, removed my last kidney," Hout said.
Following the removal of his second kidney, Hout and his wife, Sandra, completed a month-long home hemodialysis training in Great Falls.
"And we've just finished that training now, a week ago or so. But, I'm feeling great, and, I actually, I feel better now than I did before they removed my last kidney," Hout said.
Sandra said learning to perform home hemodialysis has been worth it for them.
"So Josh can have freedom. It definitely was love that pushed me to do it. And lack of finances to be able to drive back and forth and the time constraints and, you know, the energy it takes to do that on a day to day basis. It's definitely better," Sandra Hout said.
She added that providing the treatment requires nerves of steel.
"And I'm not going to say it's easy. It's, been a lot of tears, but, every day I ask myself if I can do it. And every day I try to step up to the challenge and do the next right thing for Joshs' health," Sandra Hout said.
Through it all, the Houts' faith has remained strong.
"In the face of adversity, never once has he asked why he's just always said, wow, God chose me. Like he must have something really special," Sandra said.
Sandra said as soon as Josh receives a clean blood test confirming he is cancer-free, he plans to travel to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona to pursue placement on the transplant list.
