It’s officially back-to-school for basically everyone in the U.S. (except for those NYC schools that are the stragglers). This means that your kids will spend a lot of time with their teachers for the next nine months–and while you won’t love all of your kid’s teachers, it’s hard not to be grateful for all the hard work they do. Because educating and instilling confidence in a kid is definitely not an easy task. In many ways, teachers, like you, become our kids’ heroes.
In one case, this is definitely true for one little girl who is suffering from a chronic kidney disease. Recently, third grade teacher Jodi Schmidt discovered she was a match to be a kidney donor for an 8-year-old student at her school. When she found this out, she didn’t hesitate to donate it to Natasha Fuller, according to the KATU News Facebook page, as Schmidt stated that it “wasn’t a difficult decision at all.”
Last Monday, both teacher and student underwent the surgery, which has been deemed successful thus far. While this story is definitely an extreme act of kindness and generosity, it also goes to show us that even the simplest gestures can impact a child for years.
We all know what it feels like to be complimented and encouraged by a teacher (though fewer know what it feels like to receive a kidney from one). I’ll never forget my elementary school art teacher who told me I had a gift. While I ended up pursuing writing instead of visual art (big surprise here), her encouragement helped me during a rough time when I was being bullied by my peers.
Natasha, who now doesn’t have to miss school because of dialysis, stated:
“Mrs. Schmidt is a wonderful teacher. And she takes care of a lot of kids. She’s the best!”
I’m sure everyone at Natasha’s school agrees with that.
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