Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools March 2015 | Page 13

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We’re not what they say we are, we’re more than that.”
Kayla said that the community at large, plus people from all
over the country also donated to her cause and by that Monday,
she saw the second miracle. When she checked the total of her
fundraising site, she was astonished to see that the school, the
community and other caring individuals had donated a total of
$20,000.
“I just walked
around and cried
the whole day,”
Kayla said. “It was
a really emotional
day. I don’t cry. It
was a big deal. I
still don’t even have
words. It was crazy,
we got money from
states and people
we don’t even
know.”
Kayla has
now returned to
the classroom
at Monroe High
School, two months
after donating a
life-saving kidney
to her husband.
She said that Matt
is doing extremely
well.
A smiling Kayla the day of surgery.
“He now has a
She donated a lifesaving kidney to her
kidney that works
husband Matt.
so it’s filtering stuff
out. He has so much energy it’s kind of annoying. And my body is
like, ‘Wooo! What happened?’ ” she said, laughing. “He’s lost 15
pounds. He’s a completely different person.”
Kayla said at first, Matt struggled with her decision to give him
one of her kidneys. “He struggled for a while. But once I told him,
‘It’s happening and I’m doing it,’ and that he had no choice in the
matter, he was okay. Sometimes he’ll just look at me and say,
‘Thanks.’ He’s been cooking me breakfast a lot. It’s been nice.”
The money that the students and the community raised not only
met their out-of-pocket expenses for the surgery, but the couple
continues to use what was left for Matt’s ongoing medical needs.
--This article was written by Deb Coates Bledsoe and provided
courtesy of the Communications Office of the Union County Public
Schools.

Two months post surgery Kayla has returned to her classroom,
and Matt is doing well. They are both so thankful for everyone who
helped make Matt’s surgery a success.

For more information on kidney disease
and how you can help check out these two websites.

www.kidneync.org

www.kidneyfund.org
Parent Teacher Magazine • Mar/Apr 2015 • 11