When a teacher saw that a young child in her class was upset, she decided to get to the bottom of the issue. Soon, the 4-year-old revealed dad’s big secret, leaving the teacher in shock and rushing to get answers. Now, this teacher deserves a gold medal for what she did.
At 54 years old, Nancy Bleuer had seen and heard a lot in her classroom. Like many teachers, she gave a lot of herself every day as she educated, guided, and cared for her students. But, one situation would have the Mason City, Iowa preschool teacher giving more of herself than anyone ever could have imagined or anticipated.
It all started when Bleuer noticed that Camden, a 4-year-old boy in her class at Washington Charlie Brown Preschool & Childcare, had something on his mind. Trusting his educator, Camden revealed that his dad, 34-year-old Darreld Peterson, was sick. This wasn’t just any illness, however.
Petersen was suffering from renal failure. Because his kidneys were only functioning at 20 percent, he was forced to undergo dialysis multiple times a week as he hoped for a donor. “It wasn’t until I ended up going to the ER and my doctor, the next day during a follow-up — she noticed that my hemoglobin count was extremely low,” Petersen recalled. “They did a biopsy that showed 20 percent [kidney] function.”
Luckily for both Camden and his dad, Bleuer had an interesting item she had always hoped to cross off her bucket list. She wanted to be an organ donor and save a life. There was only one question that stood in the way: Would she be a match? So, after hearing about Petersen’s health issues, the teacher began the process to get the answer everyone needed to know.
Soon after volunteering to be tested as a donor, Bleuer learned she was a match. “I was really excited about it,” Bleuer said. “I was ecstatic. I don’t know what I would’ve done for closure if I wasn’t [a match].” Thanks to Bleuer’s generosity and the positive results, the Iowa dad learned that he would be able to undergo the life-saving transplant he needed.
To his shock, Darreld Peterson would be receiving a kidney from Nancy Bleuer at the University of Iowa Hospital. To say Peterson was grateful to Bleuer for donating her organ to him is a bit of an understatement. “It’s just amazing,” he told ABC News. “There are people waiting every day for a kidney, for an organ in general. I wish there were more people like her. She’s giving me a second chance at life.”
Of course, he wanted to express his gratitude for Bleuer’s selfless gift. “Here was Darreld [Petersen] and his son with a dozen huge roses, and I’m crying, but, of course, it was very nice,” Bleuer recalled. “The day he found out, I said, ‘We’re on, it’s a go.’ Then, he came over and hugged me and he said, ‘Oh my gosh,'” she added. “It was a very cool response, and it’s good to know that I’ll be able to go to Camden’s high school graduation one day and talk about this and think, ‘Well, that was crazy.'”
This is one educator who’s gone above and beyond to teach her students some valuable life lessons, including those of courage and generosity. While some teachers become dismayed over providing folders, notebooks, or pencils, Nancy Bleuer is literally giving a part of herself to ensure a student’s happiness. It’s not just crazy to think about, it’s pretty darn incredible. As Darreld Peterson pointed out, teachers already play an important role, but his son’s teacher has provided a whole new opportunity for them. She graciously volunteered to give the dad the gift of life. It doesn’t get more amazing than that.
