Holly Allgood, a preschool special-education teacher at Tupelo Early Childhood Education Center in Mississippi, has made an extraordinary gift by donating a portion of her liver to save the life of her 5-year-old student, Bowen Dorr. The surgery was scheduled for August 27, and both Allgood and Dorr are expected to make full recoveries within three months.
Bowen’s rare genetic metabolic disorder had caused ongoing health issues since birth, including difficulty processing protein. His condition made him eligible for a liver transplant, but doctors encouraged his family to look for living donors. The family shared the news with Allgood, who immediately offered to donate her liver.
Despite initial hesitation from the Dorr family, who pointed out the complexity of the procedure and the need for follow-up tests, Allgood traveled to Pittsburgh, Miss., in July to undergo testing. She was found to be a match on August 1 and underwent surgery six hours later.
The entire school community came together to show support for Allgood and Dorr, with students and staff wearing blue and green on the day of the surgery. The medical team praised Allgood’s selflessness, saying it is “the anatomy of a teacher” – building relationships and giving freely for the benefit of others.
Allgood believes that every teacher would do the same thing to help their students: “We build relationships with our students… We just give and give.” Her actions have left a lasting impact on the Dorr family, who thank her for saving Bowen’s life.
Source: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/person-of-the-day-its-just-what-teachers-do-tupelo-preschool-teacher-holly-allgood-donates-organ-to-student