Tiny timespan gives three north Texas educators a chance to donate kidneys
FORT WORTH-Being a teacher is one of the most rewarding professions. It's a career where giving is a prerequisite: time, energy, and sometimes even money to make students smile.
Three north Texas educators took on a lesson of giving more. They wanted to gift life.
In three days, teachers Mike Trevino, Ava Nickerson, and Louise Bailey made the selfless gesture at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.
"Everyone was really excited to be a part of these three amazing gifts, three gifts of life," said President Joseph DeLeon.
DeLeon said living donors are rare. He said Texas Health in Fort Worth has facilitated only 171 such surgeries since 1988.
It quickly became exceptional for the teachers, who didn't know each other, to give kidneys over the same three days during their holiday break.
"I was reminded of the calling that teachers have, to give every day,"
DeLeon said, "We know it's not an easy job. It was exciting to see that they went beyond what was asked of them in their daily missions."
The generosity revealed an example of the benefactors.
"It was a no-brainer for me; I mean, why wouldn't I do that? I have two of something that God only gave me the need for one of," Trevino said.
They all donated for different reasons.
"I could see God's hand in all of this," Nickerson said. "From the moment I decided until the moment I donated."
But at the core, each donation was the same.
"Folks need to consider how easy and how life-changing it really is," Bailey said.
Trevino told CBS News Texas their gift may not make some marvel. To the recipients, the organs are lessons in love from those who teach lessons so well.
"It's probably not that surprising if it was going to be three people from one occupation; I think no doubt it would be teachers," Trevino said.