Alex Carson
Teachers
Teachers are a huge part of a child’s life. They are the adult that spends the most time with the child during the day. Over time, they learn to read their students’ personalities and tell when something is wrong. There are two types of teachers in the world. All teachers care for their students, but some do what they need to in order to teach them. Other teachers go above and beyond the call of duty to teach their students. Finally, there a small number of teachers who will sacrifice significantly for their students. Nancy Bleur is one of these teachers.
Camden Petersen
Camden was in kindergarten, and he loved school. Typically, he was a happy boy who enjoyed having fun with his friends. When Camden started acting strange, Nancy noticed it right away. She had a whole classroom full of children to concentrate on, so she decided to keep an eye on Camden over the next few days to make sure that he was alright.
More Changes
Over the next few days, Nancy noticed more changes in the young boy. He was usually a sociable kid, but lately, he had been keeping to himself more. The first few days, Nancy thinks that maybe her student tires or just having a bad day. When it seemed like Camden wasn’t getting any better, Nancy began to worry. He appeared to be distressed and distracted. He stopped playing with the other kids and was barely even speaking. Nancy really started to worry that something was going on with him.
Speaking To Camden
Finally, Nancy decided to sit down with Camden to figure out what was going on. She knew that something was going on, and she knew that it wasn’t a classroom issue. She had been watching how Camden was interacting with the other kids in the class to make sure that no kids were bullying him. When she saw that the problem wasn’t school-related, she assumed that something was going on at home. She decided to sit down with him and find out what was going on. When the two spoke, and he told her about a problem with his father, it broke her heart. Despite the fact that the phone call could be awkward, Nancy decided to call Camden’s dad. This 4-year-old reveals father’s secret at school. Teacher instantly calls authority. She wanted to help, and she knew exactly how to do it.
Chronic Kidney Disease
When Nancy called Camden’s father, Darreld, he was a bit surprised at first. He had never received a call from Camden’s teacher before, and he assumed right away that something had happened at school. He was worried that Camden was in trouble until Nancy told him why she was calling. She told him that his son had become withdrawn and quiet recently, and he told Nancy that his father was sick. Darreld was surprised. He had no idea that his illness was affecting his son this way. He told Nancy that he tried to keep the details of his scary diagnosis from his son, but Camden must have overheard conversations. And he told Nancy that his kidneys were functioning below 20 percent, which meant that he had several close calls, and he was on dialysis. It is a Chronic Kidney Disease. Finally, Nancy understood why Camden was so upset.
A Visit To the Hospital
Camden and Darreld’s situation was weighing on Nancy’s mind. She was worried about what would happen to Camden if his father’s kidneys failed completely. Darreld was the only person that Camden had, and losing him would change Camden’s life forever. Finally, Nancy made a decision. She was going to see if she would be a suitable kidney donor for Darreld. She went to the hospital to talk to a doctor to learn about kidney donation.
Testing
When Nancy spoke to the doctor, she was told that she would have to go through plenty of tests to make sure that physically, she could donate a kidney. First, she was told that she had to have tests to make sure that she was a match for Darreld. This meant that she needed to match his blood type and a blood tissue test. If Nancy’s kidney weren’t a perfect match for Darreld’s, he would reject the organ.
Next, they would have to test her kidney function to make sure that both of her kidneys were functioning properly. They also had to make sure that Nancy was strong enough to go through the procedure. She had to have a routine physical, an electrocardiogram, a chest x-ray, a urine test, and a computed tomography of her kidney. Additional blood tests were essential, as well. If she didn’t pass any of these tests, she wouldn’t be able to donate. Next, she had to go through psychological testing. The doctors wanted to make sure that she was mentally competent enough the make an informed decision about kidney donation. They needed to make sure that she understood what kidney donation entailed. The operation itself is major surgery, and complications are possible.
Also, having just one kidney would require Nancy to make some permanent changes in her life. The doctors needed to be sure that Nancy understood all of these things before donating her kidney. After passing all the tests, and hearing that she was a suitable donor, it was time to call Darreld to make him an offer.
Making the Call: Nancy And Darreld
Nancy called Darreld, and she offered him the most beautiful gift he could have ever imagined. She told him that she wanted to give him one of her kidneys. Darreld didn’t know what to think. He did have some friends and family who offered a kidney, but they weren’t matches. He also had a few friends who didn’t offer at all, so when his son’s kindergarten teacher, he didn’t know what to think. At first, he told her that he couldn’t ask her to do something so incredible.
Nancy told him that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She let him know that she had already gone through the necessary testing, and she was a match. Darreld couldn’t believe that she had already done all of this before even offering her kidney. He had to think about it for a while, but then he thought about Camden. If he refused Nancy’s incredible offer, his son could end up growing up without a father. Darreld agreed to take Nancy up on her offer, and to show his appreciation; he spent Nancy flower at the school to express his thanks.
The Day Had Arrived
Finally, all of the tests were completed, and the paperwork was filled out, and it was time for Nancy to donate her kidney. On the way to the hospital, Darreld started having second thoughts. He was worried that Nancy’s health would fail after he received her kidney, and he would feel responsible for the rest of her life. At the hospital, he told Nancy about his fears. She told him not to worry, and she was determined to help him and his family. He agreed to go ahead with the surgery.
Surrounded By Family
On the day of the surgery, Darreld’s whole family was there to see him through the operation. When Nancy arrived, they all told her how thankful they were to her. They had been searching for a donor for a long time, and Darreld had been going through a lot mentally and physically. Going through dialysis several times a week was hard enough, but the idea of leaving his family behind was more than he could take. Now that Nancy was going to give him a kidney, he suffering was going to end. His family couldn’t have been more thankful that finally, Darreld’s suffering was coming to an end.
Nancy And Darreld: The Surgery
The transplant team consisted of Dr. Allen Reed, Dr. Zoe Stewart Lewis, and Dr. Daniel Katz. They were the best transplant doctors in the business, and they were sure that the surgery would be a success. They knew that there were risks involved, but they had already discussed this with both of their patients, and they both agreed to go ahead with the surgery. While the family waited nervously, the doctors went to work. The nurses stayed with the family and answered all of their questions, trying to keep them calm. Finally, the doctors came out into the waiting room with smiles on their faces. The surgery was a success.
Waking Up
When Nancy woke up, she was surrounded by Darreld’s family. They wanted to be the first ones to thank her for the sacrifice that she made to save Darreld’s life. Darreld was also thankful. He said that she had given him and his son a new opportunity at life. He says that he couldn’t find the words to express the gratitude that he and his family had for her selfless and brave act. The family says that Nancy will be a part of their family for the rest of their lives. They would always make sure that she was taken care of, and it was the least she could do. He says that there really is no way to pay a person for saving your life.
A Change In Camden
When Nancy healed from her surgery, she went back to work. Right away, she noticed a change in Camden. He was acting like his old self again, playing with his friends, and participating in class. She was so happy that he was happy again. Seeing him happy made her realize that she made the right decision regarding the kidney donation.
The Local News, Nancy And Darreld
Nancy and Darreld wanted to raise awareness for organ donation, so they reached out to the local news to tell their story. The news channels were more than happy to do the story. When the reporter asked Nancy what made her think about being a donor in the first place, she mentioned her coworker. A few years earlier, one of her coworkers had donated a kidney to a member of her church. She says that when she heard about Camden’s father, she knew what she had to do. Ever since her coworker donated a kidney, donating an organ herself was on her bucket list. Darreld told the reporter that Nancy gave him something that nobody ever could, a chance.
Thanks to her, he says that he will be able to watch his children grow up, and he will have the opportunity to do some good himself. He says that Nancy’s gift inspired him to do something nice for another person. Darreld told the reporter that he would use his second chance at life to try to change another person’s life the way that Nancy changed his.
The Word Spread: Nancy And Darreld
When the local news ran the story, they also posted it on their Facebook page. It wasn’t long before the story went viral. People from all over the world were commenting on the story, telling Nancy what a brave, kind, and selfless person she was. Many people commented that Nancy’s incredible gift inspired them to do the same. This was precisely what Nancy and Darreld were hoping would happen. They just wanted people to consider becoming organ donors themselves, and that is precisely what happened.
Nancy and Darreld Today
Today, Nancy is back at work, and she feels terrific every time she sees Camden smiling. Darreld is also doing great. He no longer needs dialysis several times a week, and he is able to make plans for his future. Before the surgery, he was afraid to even think about the future because he wasn’t sure if he had one. Now, he is healthy, and he has things to look forward to. Nancy’s generous gift has changed the lives of so many people, but none more than Darrelds. He says that having a new lease on life is the best gift he could ever hope to receive.
