“You would never guess that this little girl has three tubes in her.”
Natasha Fuller, just 8 years old, doesn't let her medical condition hold her back, according to her grandmother, Chris Burleton, who spoke with the Fond du Lac Reporter. “She’s full of happiness and sass and just wants to live like any other kid, doing things like going swimming.”
Natasha was born with a rare condition called Eagle-Barrett Syndrome, also known as “prune belly syndrome.” This condition has caused her to face numerous urinary tract complications throughout her short life. She lives with her grandparents in Oakfield, Wisconsin, roughly 400 miles away from her parents and twin sister in Oklahoma, because it makes it easier for her to access medical care, including the three trips a week she makes to the hospital for kidney dialysis.
In the fall of 2015, doctors delivered a heartbreaking ultimatum: without a kidney transplant, Natasha would not survive. She had spent years on the transplant waiting list, but each time her name came up, an infection would make surgery impossible, and she’d be pushed back to the bottom of the list.
That’s when Natasha's first-grade teacher, Jodi Schmidt, decided to take extraordinary action.
Jodi had only known Natasha since the school year began, but the idea to donate her kidney to the young girl suddenly overwhelmed her. She couldn’t explain where the inspiration came from but felt compelled to act. She had to pull her car over to call her husband and share her decision.
“I told him, ‘Rich, I want to give one of my kidneys to a student,'” Jodi shared with USA Today.
Before telling anyone else, Jodi went through all the necessary tests to ensure she was a compatible donor for Natasha. She checked with her principal, Becky Doyle, to confirm that she could take the required eight weeks off for recovery, and made sure with the hospital that her kidney would be specifically donated to Natasha.
Jodi then invited Natasha’s grandmother to the school for a special meeting.
Natasha’s grandmother expected the conference to be about her granddaughter’s academic performance or concerns regarding her health, as reported by USA Today. Instead, she received a surprise gift.
“We gave her a gift box, and beneath the tissue paper was a card that read: ‘It's a match,'” Jodi recounted.
“I’ve had some truly great days in my life, but that was probably one of the best,” Jodi said, reflecting on the family's emotional response. “I believe life leads us down different paths, and now I’m certain that I was brought to Oakfield for a reason.”
Teachers make incredible sacrifices for their students every day, but Jodi’s decision to give Natasha the gift of life is truly exceptional.