15 September 2024
BEMIDJI — A Bemidji teacher and a local veteran’s family are forever linked by a recent life-saving act of kindness.
The connection was initially formed in MacKenzie Burnham’s fourth-grade classroom at Gene Dillon Elementary in Bemidji, when she began teaching Mike and Kate Boyd’s son, Cole, back in 2022.
Burnham was struck by how much Cole resembled her cousin, Kole, who had passed away when they were both in the fourth grade, even sharing the same name with only one difference in the first letter of their names.
“I already had a little soft spot for Cole in my class, just because he brought out some memories that I kind of forgot about,” Burnham shared.
It wasn’t until Cole mentioned his father’s situation that Burnham discovered the depth of the Boyd family’s need. Cole brought in a crumpled piece of paper with a link to a Fox News segment.
The segment highlighted Mike Boyd’s critical need for a kidney transplant through the DOVE program, an organization focused on helping veterans in need of kidney transplants.
“We promote living kidney donation through nationwide campaigns and outreach events with the aim to create a living donor registry of prospective donors,” the DOVE website says. “We also provide individualized support to any eligible veteran who is actively listed for a kidney transplant at any U.S. Transplant Center in creating an outreach campaign within their networks and community.”
Coming from a military background herself, and considering her connection to Cole, she couldn’t get the whole situation out of her mind.
So, after reading more about Mike’s situation, Burnham reached out to DOVE to see how she could help. Despite not being a match for Mike, she was determined to be part of a paired kidney exchange.
In this exchange, her kidney went to someone else in need, and Mike received a kidney from another compatible donor. Burnham, however, wasn’t ready to donate until she knew Mike had a donor lined up.
“Some of the profound things that really helped was MacKenzie holding out until she knew Mike had a kidney donor before she donated,” Kate said. “So, she was donating on behalf of him. … It gave Mike a lot of hope that somebody was in his corner.”
The Boyd family had endured years of false starts and letdowns, with over a dozen people being tested as potential donors, only for something to fall through each time.
“We started to not want to get our hopes up for something to happen,” Kate recalled.
But Burnham’s persistence brought renewed hope to the family.
“It can feel like the world is against you a little bit…but knowing that there’s a perfect stranger out there advocating for him made him not feel alone,” she added.
‘A no-brainer’
Exactly one year, to the very day, after Cole brought Burnham that crumbled piece of paper to class, she received a phone call at work. They had a surgery date.
The surgery took place in June at M Health Fairview in Minneapolis, three weeks after the call. Both Burnham and Mike are now fully recovered.
For Kate, the impact of Burnham’s decision extended beyond the physical.
“Having somebody going through something for over a year with you simultaneously, out of the goodness of her heart, made a huge difference in our lives,” Kate shared. “Because then you don’t feel alone.”
Highlighting the impact of small, everyday acts of kindness, Kate recounted a touching moment in Burnham’s classroom.
“Another student in the class throughout that year had dealt with a loss, and (Burnham) said she saw Cole go up and put his hand on that kid’s shoulder and let him know it’s OK to be sad, it’s OK to cry,” Kate said.
As a parent, Kate was filled with delight. “It makes me proud as a parent to know that he’s going out in the world and being good,” she added.
Kate said they have learned there are many more good people in the world than not.
“And if we can get this information out to more people, that this is an opportunity,” she said, “people are more willing to fill a need if they know about it.”
The kidney donation has not only saved Mike’s life but has left a lasting impact on everyone involved.
“When we allow each other to help carry each other’s burdens and when we’re there for each other, people can’t show up if they don’t know how…that’s what changes communities and makes them better, makes them stronger,” Kate said.
Burnham, too, sees the importance of sharing the story, not for recognition but to inspire others.
“I just want to broadcast this as much as I can,” Burnham shared. “If I can advocate for others to do this and how much it truly has not changed my life — it’s a no-brainer in my book.”
By hearing her story, she hopes that others are inspired to step forward to make a difference in other people’s lives, too.
According to DOVE, there are currently around 2,000 veterans awaiting a life-saving kidney transplant at either a VA Center or Military Hospital in the U.S., with it taking about three to five years to receive a kidney from a deceased donor.
“A little bit of sacrifice goes a long way in changing somebody’s life,” Kate left off.
To learn more about the DOVE kidney transplant program, visit dovetransplant.org.
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