Teacher donates kidney to eight-year-old student

As Jewish youngsters traipsed back into class this week, to be reunited with their educators, a teacher from the United States showed how special that bond can be.

Jodi Schmidt, a third-grade teacher in Wisconsin, became a hero last Monday when she donated a kidney to 8-year old student Natasha Fuller, potentially saving the young girl’s life.

Natasha, suffering from chronic kidney disease, was all smiles back in school, proclaiming Mrs Schmidt to be “the best” as the pair hugged and kissed following their recovery from surgery.

Asked about her decision, Schmidt said she knew she had to help, adding: “It wasn’t a difficult decision at all. It was a little bit more difficult for my husband, but for me no, I really believe it was meant to be.”

Natasha, who now doesn’t have to miss school because of dialysis, said: “Mrs. Schmidt is a wonderful teacher, and she takes care of a lot of kids. She’s the best.”