When Dena Carreyn, from Madison, Wisconsin, was asked to attend a school conference related to the arrival of a new teacher, she didn’t think twice to attend. But she never expected the new teacher, Beth Battista, would be doing even more than her colleagues had done for Carreyn’s chronically ill 4-year-old daughter, Lyla.
Last October, Lyla had been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune-related vasculitis that caused kidney failure. After nine months of treatment, including 10-12 hours a day on a dialysis machine, it became apparent that Lyla desperately needed a kidney transplant.
Unable to find a match in Lyla’s family, a nationwide search for the right donor ensued. Meanwhile Lyla’s teachers dedicated themselves to dealing properly with her condition while continuing her education. Hence the conference introducing a new teacher who would have to learn about Lyla’s medications and other needs.
Carreyn found Lyla’s two other teachers waiting with Battista. Introductions were made. Then they gave her a box containing a note that left her stunned:
“I may just be her teacher now, but soon a little piece of me will be with Lyla forever.” The note was signed, “I’m Lyla’s kidney donor.”
“As soon as I realized what was happening, I was elated,” she said. “The feelings were very similar to what I experienced the day Lyla was born; Lyla is getting a second chance at life, thanks to Beth.”
The meeting was captured on video, which Carreyn uploaded to Facebook. Take a look:
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