A Gift of Life: Cooper Teacher Donates Kidney to Coworker

At Cooper Junior High School, what began as a simple social media post has turned into a life-changing act of generosity.

Special education science teacher Angela Sands is donating one of her kidneys to a coworker she barely knew, 21-year-old paraprofessional Kennedy Crew.

For Sands, the decision came from a feeling she couldn’t ignore.

“I saw her post on Facebook asking if anyone would consider being a donor,” she said. “I have a son who’s 21, the same age as Kennedy. When I saw the post, I just felt this calling that I needed to apply.”

Sands submitted an application in October. By early November, the testing began, blood work, scans, and multiple medical visits. Throughout the lengthy process, doctors and social workers repeatedly reminded her that she could back out at any time.

“The social worker told me 187 times that I could change my mind,” Sands said, “but I never once thought about it.”

Weeks later, the results confirmed what Sands had already begun to suspect: she was a match.

A Surprise Reveal

Instead of delivering the news with a phone call, Sands chose a more personal way to tell Crew that she was a match and would be her kidney donor.

Sands had just picked up crocheting. Over winter break, she crocheted a small kidney.

“I just had a feeling I was going to be a match,” Sands said. “So I made it while I waited to find out.”

On the day the transplant team confirmed the match, Sands asked Crew to stop by her classroom because she had a gift for her. Crew was confused; the two worked on the same special education team but didn’t interact often.

“I was like, ‘Why are you giving me a gift?’” Crew said.

When Crew opened the package and saw the crocheted kidney, she stared at it in silence.

“My mouth was open for like two minutes straight,” Crew said. “I was in complete shock.”

Then came the realization.

“I’m your donor,” Sands told her.

The moment quickly turned emotional.

“We hugged, we cried, and we made everyone around us cry,” Sands said.

A Look Back

Crew, who graduated from Wylie East High School in 2023, was diagnosed with lupus in eighth grade. While the autoimmune disease is largely under control today, it severely damaged her kidneys.

Fatigue is her biggest daily challenge.

“The only symptom I really have now is that I’m tired all the time,” Crew said. “After the transplant, my energy should go up and my quality of life will be so much better.”

Crew has worked at Cooper since February 2025, first as a substitute teacher before accepting a paraprofessional position supporting special education students. She is currently studying online through Texas A&M University–Commerce to earn her teaching certification.

“I want to teach middle school math, seventh grade specifically, because that’s exactly what I’m doing now and I love it,” Crew said.

She was on the transplant list for about nine months, a relatively short wait compared to the years many patients endure.

“I got so lucky,” Crew said. “The doctors told me this is the best-case scenario.”

Still, she struggles to fully process the sacrifice Sands is making for her.

“I went to a coworker and asked, ‘Why would someone be so willing to do this for me?’” Crew said. “I still haven’t wrapped my head around it.”

A School Rallies Together

As news of the transplant spread across campus, staff and students at Cooper Junior High quickly stepped in with support.

Teachers organized meal trains for both families. Posters created by students in journalism appeared in the hallways. A department took up a collection and gifted cash. Staff members also rallied around the pair in recognition of March being National Kidney Month by wearing green.

“The support has been incredible,” Crew said. “[CJHS Principal] Mrs. [Mary] Zucha has been the most understanding with every appointment. This is the first time I haven’t had to stress about medical reasons when it comes to a job. I went to school in this district from Pre-K all the way to senior year, but you don’t fully realize how special it is until you’re an adult working here.”

For Crew, the experience has also deepened her appreciation for the community that raised her.

“I have truly experienced the Wylie Way,” she said. “I learned about it growing up all throughout school, but this situation is showing me exactly what we have been taught here in Wylie, selflessness. The people of Wylie ISD show up for each other in the most unimaginable ways.”

Crew offers inclusion support in Stephanie Moon’s science class, where she recently shared with students that Crew would be receiving her transplant from Sands.

“The root of Angela’s name is Angel,” Moon told her students. “How much more angelic can you get? When I heard she was doing this for Kennedy, it made me tear up and I'm not an emotional person.”

Eighth grader Yassin Ellithy said Crew brightens his day.

“Miss Crew is the G.O.A.T.,” Ellithy said. “I would give her my kidney if I could. She always makes my day better by just being herself.”

An Act of Honor

The transplant surgery is scheduled for March 9, 2026.

Sands expects to return to school after three weeks of recovery. Crew will remain out for about six weeks.

“I’m not scared at all,” Sands said. “I think it’s because I feel like I was meant to do this.”

For Sands, the opportunity to change someone’s life is something she considers a privilege.

“It’s an honor,” she said, fighting back tears. “I know what I had to go through to get approved, so I can only imagine what she’s been through. To be able to give someone that gift…it’s an honor.”

Crew says the transplant will give her something she has long hoped for, the chance to move forward with her life and career.

“I just want Angela to know how much this really means to me,” Crew said, “and how much it will change my life going forward. I want to thank her for giving me a second chance.”