ABOVE: See the incredible story of young Matthew Parker – and the first-grade teacher who came forward to save his life
TORONTO – The incredible ordeal of one six-year-old Texas boy in desperate need of a kidney transplant ended after his family had scoured the country for a possible donor and came up with an unlikely volunteer: the boy’s own first-grade teacher.
Matthew Parker is one of three triplets born to the Parker family of New Braunfels, Texas. Just weeks after he was born, Matthew suffered complete kidney failure and had to be put on dialysis while the family looked for a kidney donor.
Eventually, doctors at University Hospital in San Antonio were able to secure a donor, and the family thought the worst was over.
“He was two years old and it was very exciting,” Matthew’s mother Lisa Parker told News-4 San Antonio last December. “We had a few years that were nice. It was a normal life for us.”
Then, another setback: doctors say Matthew’s body rejected the first kidney transplant.
That forced doctors at University Hospital to search for what’s called an altruistic donor: someone who was unrelated to Matthew, but whose kidney might hold the key to saving his life.
“Basically a stranger who has a good heart and wants to do well, or good,” said Dr. Mazen Arar with University Hospital.
The boy’s family set up a web site to try to find a donor, though they knew the odds were against them. Matthew even asked Santa Claus to bring him a kidney donor for Christmas.
Eventually, Lindsey Painter, Matthew’s first grade teacher at Hoffmann Lane Elementary, volunteered to see if she could be Matthew’s kidney donor. The two had become close despite Matt only being able to go to school part-time due to the four hours of dialysis a day he needs to survive.
“It is completely mind-blowing,” said Painter about finding out she could save her student’s life. “The coordinator of the hospital called me Christmas Eve to tell me I was a match.”
“I have a ten-year-old and six-year-old at home, little boy. And I just can’t imagine having a child who is going through what Matt has gone through.”
The Parker family is understandably moved by Painter’s incredible gift.
“She was selfless and just a giving person. I think it’s really a miracle,” said Lisa Parker.
Even though their search has ended, the Parker family and University Hospital are keeping the web site open they used to try and track down a donor for their son so that others can register across the country and possibly save another child’s life in the future.
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