A teacher from Wisconsin volunteers to donate her kidney to her sick student.
Oakfield Elementary School District was able to capture a video of the heartwarming moment when first-grade teacher Jodi Schmidt announced her decision to her student Natasha Fuller's family.
The Announcement
When she found out that she was a match, Schmidt invited Natasha's grandmother Chris Burelton to school. The staff told Burelton that they will just give a gift to her for taking care of her granddaughter.
When Burelton arrived, Schmidt handed her a pink gift box with a message inside that read "It's a match."
"You? Oh my gosh!" exclaims a teary-eyed Burelton, who thought she was invited to school because Natasha was naughty.
Schmidt's Big-Hearted Move
Schmidt started undergoing medical tests in December 2015 in the hopes of being a kidney donor to Natasha.
Schmidt thought and prayed a lot about it and told her husband about the idea of giving her kidney to her student.
Just recently, she found out that she was a match and fully decided to go with it.
The Connection
Schmidt felt that she is indeed the right person to donate. Although she generally loves children and see sparks in their eyes, it was Natasha's spark that moved her.
Natasha says Mrs. Schmidt is always smiling and for this she smiles back and gives her teacher a hug.
Natasha's Response
After the surprise presentation for Burelton, the school staff brought in Natasha to the room to tell her the news as well. She saw the gift, but was not entirely aware of what it meant.
She read the note and thanked and hugged Schmidt. When the staff asked if she understood what the note meant, she shook her head no. Despite this, she got excited about the thought of her, and her teacher getting a popsicle in the hospital.
Natasha's Journey
Natasha was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney disease when she was still a toddler. Because of this, she had to move to her grandparents' place in Milwaukee to receive dialysis and specialized treatment at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Her parents and twin sister live in Oklahoma.
In August 2015, she was placed under the list of recipients for kidney donations. People usually wait for more than three years just to get a match. Some even resort to other less conventional organ transplant procedures such those involving 3D printing technology.
With Schmidt's courageous and selfless move, Natasha may have her kidney transplant surgery sooner than the usual waiting time.
Photo: Sean McGrath | Flickr
