Deadly immune disease A teacher saved her pupil by kidney donation the life

Teacher donates a kidney for her five-year-old pupil
According to media reports, a teacher in the US has probably saved the lives of one of her students with a kidney donation. The five-year-old, who suffers from a rare immune disease, needed a new organ.

Selfless step of a teacher
Time and again there are reports of cases in which well-known personalities donate organs to their beloved spouse or relatives. For example, the future German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former DGB chief Michael Sommer have each donated a kidney to their wives. But many people who are not in public life are ready for the selfless step. So is Beth Battista. The preschool teacher from the US state of Wisconsin has donated a kidney to a schoolgirl and thus probably saved the lives of five-year-olds.

In the US, a teacher donated a kidney to her pupil and thus saved her life. The five-year-old was dependent on 12 hours of dialysis a day because of an immune disease. (Image: s_l / fotolia.com)

Healthy people can give a kidney
In Germany, a patient dies about every eight hours because there is no organ donor for him. In other states, the numbers are often similar. The organ most commonly transplanted in this country is the kidney.

Healthy people with two intact kidneys can usually give one without health restrictions and thus save lives or increase the quality of life of the recipient.

However, no intervention is completely risk-free and therefore a pinch of courage is necessary to take this step. And much more when it comes to organ donation outside the family.

Two years ago, an organ donation was reported in the US, which was the case. At that time, a waitress donated a kidney to a regular guest.

And also in the US, a teacher has now donated a kidney to her student.

Rescued life of five-year schoolgirl
According to a BBC report, Beth Battista, a native Wisconsin teacher, donated a kidney to her five-year-old pupil, Lyla, and saved her life.

The teacher explained that she had not hesitated to offer a kidney when she heard about Lyla's lengthy search for a suitable donor: "I knew that I only had to be tested rather than see her suffer further." At that time the teacher knew not yet that Lyla should become her student.

She said that she had become aware of the condition of the little girl through a Facebook post by Lyla's mother.

Little girl needed 12 hours of dialysis daily
According to the "BBC", Lyla was diagnosed with Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA) a year ago, a rare autoimmune disease that required 12 hours of dialysis per day.

Beth Battista was considered a suitable donor to Lyla after two tests in July and August. In September, she discovered that the child should become a student of her in preschool.

Recently, the two were operated on. "It was the same amount of pain as a caesarean section," said the BBC teacher, "but I am pleased to say the kidney immediately started working when she was implanted in Lyla."

"I was discharged from the hospital 48 hours after the operation and feel OK, albeit very tired."

But her condition is not unusual: "I was told that this is normal in donors, because their remaining kidney must grow to compensate for the missing organ."

Battista explained, "I'm really proud to have saved her life." (Ad)