Dr. Sarah Schecter is the kind of educator who goes above and beyond for her students – and then some.
For Aaron, Sydney, and William Jones of Mansfield, Texas, she’s not just their principal. She’s their hero and the reason they’ll have their beloved father for years to come.
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Nate Jones, who is in his 40s, seemed perfectly healthy until he started having eye problems in 2018. After visiting an eye doctor, a specialist, and finally the emergency room, he discovered he had renal failure and needed a new kidney.
For the next 18 months, the father of three was on dialysis three days a week. While his family mostly kept these challenges quiet, they did let Dr. Schecter and the children’s teachers at the Oakridge School in Arlington know what was going on.
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The news hit Dr. Schecter harder than she could have expected.
“Very shortly after she told me — like within days or maybe even hours — I felt a heavy burden,” she told WFAA. “To think they could lose their dad when they’re just kids in school. I just want them to have their dad.”
For months, she couldn’t get this wonderful family out of her head. They needed someone to step up, and they needed it soon. Dr. Schecter took it as sign, and when she was tested, she found out she was a perfect match!
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While Dr. Schecter said she was afraid leading up to the surgery, she refused to let fear get the best of her. She went through with the successful transplant on January 13, 2020, and ultimately saved Mr. Jones’s life!
“How do I pay her back?” Mr. Jones said later. “I can’t. I can’t pay her back. It runs through my mind. What can you do to thank her for this? Words aren’t enough.”
But for Dr. Schecter, a post-surgery hug was all she needed.
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Dr. Schecter always encourages her students to “be generous, be kind, be brave.” Clearly, she’s all of those things and more!
Learn more about her lifesaving gift in the video below, and share this story to encourage more people to become organ donors.
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