Throughout the week, our ACC Team searches through emails and news articles looking for someone who deserves to be the Hero of the Week… Find out how you can nominate a Hero of the Week at the bottom of the page.
This week, we honor traveling nurse Taylor Pikkarainen.
Taylor had spent time this spring in New Jersey helping patients battling COVID-19. When she returned home to Minnesota, Taylor heard from her sister-in-law about a friend’s two-year-old son in need of a kidney. Bodie Hall suffered from a congenital kidney disease. His mother had already given one of her kidneys to one his siblings who suffers from the same syndrome.
So, Taylor went and got tested and found out that she was a perfect match for little Bodie. The surgery was a success, and Bodie is doing great in his recovery.
For Taylor, she had never been hospitalized or gone through any surgery as a patient before. She said that she thought it was going to be harder than it was, and Taylor added that she has no regrets. She hopes that her story will encourage others to be organ donors.
Learn more about this story as covered by ABC’s Good Morning America.
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Kix’s Response:
Well, talk about self-sacrifice! The ultimate gift of life, huh? Considering there are over a hundred thousand people in our country that are on a transplant waiting list – mostly for kidneys – this is a story that I’m happy to share.
Taylor, you are this week’s ACC Hero!
Nominate a Hero of the Week
Now, we want to know who has made a difference in your life. Nominate a local firefighter, police officer, EMT or someone who is serving our country in the military. It could even be a neighbor, family member or friend who lent a crucial helping hand. Let us know all about the person who you feel is a real life hero by emailing us here and please feel free to send us a picture!