It is a fact that Teachers are a reassuring force to be reckoned with, especially for young children. They do much and more than just teach, they protect their students from not just the unknown world but sometimes even their families.
This is the story of a teacher who went above and beyond her duties of taking care of her students and doing so, ended up in the hospital for weeks and owing one student, in particular, a lifelong debt.
Keep Your Eyes Open
It all started when a 4-year-old student didn’t seem to be feeling well and his teacher knew something was going on. He clearly wasn’t feeling himself and his teacher wanted to know what was going on.
Nancy sat down with Camden, age 4, for a little chat. This preschool teacher was absolutely shocked when she heard from Camden that he was terrified at the thought of seeing his father.
Caring Teachers
When someone devotes themselves to the profession of teaching, they do it because they love it. They love the fact that they have the opportunity to help shape a child’s mind or to be someone the child can trust and help, and the opportunity to give children the best shot at growing into healthy, caring adults like them.
Nancy Bleur is one such person. The 54-year-old is a loving and kind lady who loves her students and would do everything possible to make sure they are happy and well cared for.
How far would Nancy go to help little Camden?
Strange Behavior
Camden had become very antisocial in the last few weeks, which was by no means the norm for the little boy. He was typically happy and smiling all the time. Something inside Nancy told her that something was not right.
Camden had stopped playing with other children and seemed extremely distracted when he was in class. But even more worrying was that Camden now spent most of his time alone not really doing much of anything. Nancy knew something was wrong, but what was it?
Reconnecting
Like any good teacher, from the moment the teacher realized that something was wrong with Camden, she knew it was her job to help him through what he was going through. Teachers are often the second line of defence after the parents, and it’s them the child will turn to if they’re having trouble at home.
Nancy set out to connect with Camden to hear what he had to say. After talking to him about his issues, she realized she was having trouble at home. She knew she had to get to the bottom of it.
Due Diligence
When Nancy heard what her student Camden had to say, she immediately contacted the boy’s father to further investigate the problems surrounding the child’s unhappiness. It wasn’t the easiest call to make, but Nancy got to the bottom of Camden’s problems relatively quickly.
She found Camden’s father’s phone number from the school records and asked him such an unexpected question that he asked her to repeat it twice. As startling as the question was, the next part was going to be even worst.
Shocked By A Phone Call
Just like any parent receiving a phone call from the school, Darrell, Camden’s father, immediately thought the worst when he responded to a call from his son’s teacher. Had Camden gotten into trouble at school?
Had anything happened? Was he hurt? But when Nancy told him the real reason for her call, he was completely surprised. He couldn’t keep secrets from his child when the secrets were this big, but he didn’t expect that his child would talk about it at school. But children are perceptive and they know when something is wrong.
An Important Question
Nancy had given it a lot of thought before she called Camden’s father. She worried that her concern might be taken for unnecessary meddling. But when she saw how unhappy Camden was about his situation at home, she knew she had to do something.
She had thought carefully about asking the question so as not to offend Darrell. She didn’t want him to think she was accusing him of abuse or neglect. She was just hoping to do the right thing by asking. When she heard his answer, she knew he had to act immediately.
A House Full Of Strangers
Nancy had never imagined that Camden’s problems at home would be this difficult. Most children have trouble adjusting over very basic changes in daily life: moving to a new house, a new baby, even a new paint colour.
But Camden’s problems were much bigger than this. These were adult-sized problems and a little boy was being tasked with taking care of his feelings about them on his own. The boy had confided to her that strangers in uniform had made more than one visit to her home in recent weeks.
Camden’s Confession
He was very worried that his father would be taken away again. But where was his father being taken? And what could his teacher do about it? Nancy was concerned that it was not her place to interfere too much in her student’s life.
After all, she isn’t a member of the family nor was she his parent. She didn’t have the right to make major decisions or interfere in a large way unless abuse was happening. But she had interacted with so many children in her teaching years that she knew she had to do something. She had seen situations like this long before, but not often.
A Promise
The day Camden approached her and confessed, she could hardly stay calm. She did not understand what was happening to his family and didn’t know what to do. Like many teachers, Miss Nancy had left a huge impression on her young student.
She meant a lot to Camden. In the little boy’s eyes, if Miss Nancy couldn’t help, no one could. She promised her student that she would do everything in her power to make things right – even if it meant making sacrifices. But first, she needed to make a decision.
Was It Safe?
Nancy had a hunch, but she had to be absolutely sure to move on. It was one of the hardest decisions she had ever had to make. She was determined to give Camden the life he deserved.
But no one could have suspected that she would go this far, especially not Camden’s father. What Nancy was about to embark on would not only change her student’s life forever but also hers.
Taking Action
She had a million thoughts going in her head throughout the school day but as soon as she got some free time, she knew what she had to do. Nancy ran to the nearest hospital to take care of the required paperwork.
Then she made an appointment for counselling with a psychologist. She was required to be certain of her mental state in the future. She knew that what she was about to undertake would not be easy.
Ready
After a series of tests, Nancy finally got the results. Her psychological evaluation also checked out and she was in the clear. Her mind was healthy enough to do what she needed to do, and her body was strong enough to handle what came over her.
The evidence showed that Nancy was not only willing to help Camden and his family, but she was one of the few people who could actually do it. This strengthened Nancy’s resolve further and it was time to go back to the hospital.
Health Complications
It turned out that Camden’s father, Darrell Petersen, was not in very good health. In fact, Darrell’s future looked pretty bleak. He had serious problems with his kidneys. They were only operating at 20% of their capacity.
During the dialysis treatment he was receiving, he seemed so ill that Camden was disturbed by this reality. That’s when Nancy decided to do something unthinkable, unexpected and truly generous.
Above And Beyond
This is where the story starts to get interesting. You’d think Camden’s teacher Nancy would offer to take care of Camden when Darrell couldn’t do it. Not only did she feel bad for Darrell, but she was worried about Camden’s mental health in his father’s decline.
But what she had planned went far beyond that kind of help and support. Nancy wanted to solve the family’s problems once and for all, while still keeping them together and that would mean Nancy had to make a huge sacrifice.
Extraordinary Sacrifice
After Nancy asked Darrell the important question, the teacher decided that she would help the family in any way she could and make her an extraordinary offer. She went through all the required tests and filled out all the paperwork.
Lucky for Darrell, it turns out that Nancy was the perfect match. But the perfect match for what, exactly? Well, we aren’t going to tell you just yet but it is remarkable how one thoughtful person can help so many lives.
An End To The Troubles
Camden’s family was obviously in complete awe since there aren’t many people who would or even could have been willing to offer to give up….one of their own kidneys for free! Usually, the patients have to wait months on doner lists but not Camden!
Days before the procedure, Camden’s family visited Nancy at the school with flowers and many thanks. “I had friends and family who wanted to donate, but this didn’t work, for medical or other reasons,” Darrell said later, “then Ms Nancy came up to me.
Saying Good-Bye
After conducting numerous interviews with local news stations that praised Nancy for her enormous heart while also tracking the entire story from start to finish. The big day for both Camden and Nancy was just around the corner.
Some people did think that Nancy would get cold-feet and backout but that never happened. She smiled her way into the hospital and got ready to start the procedure. Even Darrel later said he had some doubts, showing concern for Nancy’s health. But the teacher was determined and willing to take the required risks.
In Good Hands
Since the story was catching the local buzz, Iowa’s top transplant surgeons were called into to handle the procedure. Alan Reed, MD; Zoe Stewart Lewis, MD, PhD; and Daniel Katz, MD, assured Nancy’s followers that she was in the best hands.
Surgeons and nurse assistants remained by Darrell and Nancy’s side at all times, ensuring that the couple remained in good working order during the procedure. “You could tell that everyone wanted to be by your side,” Darrell explained. But was the surgery a success?
Complete Success
The transplant procedure was a complete success! The family, overwhelmed by Nancy’s generosity, was waiting for her as soon as she came to. This was a gift that they could never stop saying thank you for!
They hurried to embrace and promised that they would always be a second family to her and that they would support her as best they could because what she had given them was priceless. And no one was more grateful than Camden.
Becoming Activists
After the successful procedure, Darrell and Nancy decided to take action. They wanted to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and try to draw attention to the expert team at the University of Iowa Transplant Center.
Soon, the media learned of Nancy’s act of generosity. Nancy truly believes that if everyone was just a little more selfless than the world would be a better place for everyone. The more we learn about Nancy the more, we get impressed.
Humble
I had a coworker who, years ago, had donated a kidney to someone in her church,” Nancy said in an interview. “He was an important part of the journey of his life, and that inspired me. When I heard about Darrell and Camden, I felt it was the right thing to do.
Of course, Camden was ecstatic. Seeing his father healthy and energetic again after such a long illness filled his heart with joy. Simply unable to hide his happiness, he thanked his teacher Nancy and made her a promise: he would be the best student she had ever had.
Lucky
When Nancy got the news that she was compatible with Darrell, she couldn’t be happier. “I was so excited. I was ecstatic. I don’t know what I would have done to find a match if I hadn’t been suitable for him,” she later stated.
But what does Darrell say about the woman who saved his life? “She’s part of my family for the rest of her life, whether she likes it or not,” he said. “The Iowa City team is part of my family. It’s all been amazing, and I hope everyone has the same experience that I had.
Now Part Of The Family
“How can you thank someone for saving your life?” asks Darrell. “She’s really an amazing woman.” Nancy went beyond her role as a teacher and as a human being when she decided to help Camden’s father, showing that one good person can change the lives around them.
Hopefully, this story showed you how and why you should respect your teachers. Nancy single-handedly shifted the way the people in her community saw pre-school teachers, all with one selfless act.