Twenty-five years ago, Tracey Bye gave little Henry Howard the gift of knowledge. Now, she’s giving him the gift of life.
"I had him in student council. Henry was one of those students in elementary that I connected to," Bye told KUSA.
Since then, Howard has grown up. At 29 years old, he now has a wife and young son and still remembers when Buy was his teacher.
“She was always just the most gentle, kind-hearted teacher,” Howard recalled.
For the past few years, Howard has been battling kidney disease.
“The last year experience the effects of full-blown kidney disease getting down to 7 percent kidney function,” Howard said.
He desperately needed a kidney, and when Buy found out, she was more than willing to help.
“When I read what his disease was and how his kidney function was so low I was like, ‘I’ll try it.’ I just thought if I’m healthy enough that’s something I can do,” Bye said.
She was tested, and as it turned out, she was a match. They had the surgery, and Howard says his life has never been better.
“She gave me so much and there’s nothing I can say or do to return the amount of life she has given me,” said Howard.
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