Temple College LVN graduate Amy Stephens donated one of her kidneys to her co-worker’s husband, Marco Rodriguez, after Marco's kidneys began to fail. Courtesy photo by Ana Rodriguez

By ERIC ECKERT, special to Our Town Temple

Marco Rodriguez needed a kidney transplant. His kidneys were failing, and every attempt to heal them with diet and medication had failed. He and his wife, Ana, and their family and friends had been searching desperately for a match from a living donor. After one promising donation fell through, they were facing the next step: dialysis.

However, before the Rodriguezes were forced to take that next step, Ana’s coworker Amy Stephens came forward and said she was a match. Amy, a 2006 graduate of Temple College’s Licensed Vocational Nursing program, works as a staff nurse at Riordan Medical Institute in Southlake, Texas, where Ana serves as the front office coordinator.

“I cried!” Ana said of the moment she learned Amy was a match. “We had just found out about three weeks prior that a potential donor fell through, and just started to accept Marco may have to start dialysis soon. Then Amy came up front to where I work and told me she was a match for Marco. She was giving my husband of 25 years a chance to have more time with our daughters and grandchildren.”

Ana began working at Riordan six years ago. Amy, who lives in Denton, has worked at Riordan the past three years. They both said the small staff at the Institute is like a family. As such, Amy said she had been following closely the Rodriguez family’s journey to find a living donor.

“When Marco’s condition worsened to the point that they were first urged to start thinking about looking for a living donor, I had a strange feeling that I would be the one to do it,” Amy said. “I could not stop thinking about it, but I didn’t tell anyone. When the first donor was disqualified, Ana was devastated and was dreading having to tell Marco and the rest of their family. She came back to my desk to tell me what had happened and was sobbing in my arms. That was the moment that I decided to stop thinking about it and take action. I filled out the application a few minutes later.”

‘Make a difference in the life of a friend’

During the pandemic, Amy said she watched a coworker battle COVID-19 and spend more than a month in the Intensive Care Unit. She knew others who died. Watching those battles and being unable to do anything other than wait for updates gave her a helpless feeling, she said.

“Through this time, we have all seen far too many people get sick and die, and I have been sad and scared and at times very angry,” Amy said.

She said that as a nurse she’d championed organ donation throughout her career and always felt it would be an honor to help someone in that way.

“When the opportunity to do this for Marco presented itself, it was a relief that I would actually be able to help,” Amy said. “I did it for Marco and Ana, but mentally this has been a very healing experience for me too. Being able to make a difference in the life of a friend is an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Successful surgeries

The surgeries occurred approximately six weeks ago at the Baylor Scott & White Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute in Fort Worth. Amy’s kidney was removed and placed into Marco’s body. Both patients are doing well and continue to heal.

“The surgery went great. ‘Textbook’ is what the surgeon said when he came out to talk to us,” Ana said of her husband’s procedure. “Recovery was right on schedule, and today Marco is a week back at work and doing great. The difference I see in my husband is wonderful.”

For Amy, she said she still has some residual soreness and swelling, but she is back to regular activities and doing well.

She said her training at Temple College and her career as a nurse gave her an educated perspective as she engaged in the transplant process.

“I loved my time at Temple College and really feel like I got the best training for my chosen career. I do feel that my nursing education and career gave me a unique perspective,” Amy said. “I had never had surgery of any kind prior to this, but I knew a little bit about the process and I feel like I was able to ask the right questions and have a better understanding of what would be involved.”

Ana and Amy said their supervisors at Riordan worked everything out for them to take the time necessary for the surgeries and recuperation.

Building awareness of ‘Share Your Spare’

Ana and Amy said they are both determined to build awareness and champion organ donation – specifically donations from living donors.

They said that they’ve learned that 5 percent of kidney donations come from live donors, and they believe that there’s opportunity to grow that number.

For Amy, she wants to inspire others to make the same choice she made.

“There is such a huge need for organ donation,” she said. “This has been the most beautiful and uplifting experience for me and the surgery itself is not nearly as extensive as you would think. Don’t be afraid to ‘share your spare.’”

For Ana, she wants others to have the gift of time with their loved ones.

“People unfortunately do not know all the information about becoming a donor and all the resources they have for donors,” Ana said. “Marco was very fortunate to have found a match and not have to do dialysis. There are so many others that are not as fortunate and are even younger than Marco. Please learn about organ donation and ‘share your spare.’”

Eric Eckert is the executive director of communications at Temple College

THURSDAY | MAY 12 | BONUS

Temple ISD news for the week of May 16

• TISD Spring Orchestra Festival will be May 17 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Mayborn Convention Center

• May 26 will be a district-wide early release day

• Temple High School graduation will be May 28 at 10:00 a.m. at the Bell County Expo Center

Bonham Middle School

• Band’s spring concert will be May 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Temple College

• Sixth and seventh grade awards ceremonies will be May 23

• Choir’s spring show will be May 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the THS Auditorium

Cater Elementary  

•  Fifth grade graduation will be May 23

• Kindergarten graduation will be May 24

• First, second, third and fourth grade awards will be May 25

Garcia Elementary  

• First, second, third and fourth grade awards will be May 24

• Kindergarten graduation will be May 25

• Fifth grade graduation will be May 26

Jefferson Elementary  

• First and third grade awards will be May 24

• Second and fourth grade awards will be May 25

• Fifth grade and kindergarten graduations will be May 25

Kennedy-Powell Elementary  

• Books and Bingo Beach Bash will be May 19 at 6:00 p.m.

• First and third grade awards will be May 23

• Second and fourth grade awards will be May 24

• Kindergarten and fifth grade graduations will be May 24

• Field day will be May 25

Lamar Middle School

• Band’s spring concert will be May 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Temple College

• Choir’s spring Follies show will be May 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the MDECA Auditorium

• Sixth grade awards will be May 23

• Seventh grade awards will be May 24

• Eighth grade awards parade will be May 25

Meridith-Dunbar Early Childhood Academy 

• Student led conferences will be May 16 from 5:00-6:30 p.m.

• Field day will be May 20

• Graduation ceremonies will be held May 23, 24 and 25 by class

Raye-Allen Elementary 

• First and fourth grade awards will be May 23

• Kindergarten graduation will be May 23

• Second and third grade awards will be May 24

• Fifth grade graduation will be May 24t

Scott Elementary 

• First, second, third and fourth grade awards will be May 23

• Field Day will be May 24

• Kindergarten and fifth grade graduation will be May 25

• Talent Show will be May 26 at 9:30 a.m.

Temple High School 

• Fine Arts will host a signing day ceremony on May 16 at 4:00 p.m. in the Pecan Room of the Administration Building

• THS Choir Soundcheck will be May 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. each night in the THS Auditorium

• THS Band will hold its chamber concert on May 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the THS Band Hall

• THS Percussion Ensemble will perform its spring concert on May 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the THS Auditorium

Thornton Elementary   

• Kindergarten graduation will be May 19

• Fifth grade graduation will be May 19

Travis Science Academy

• Eighth grade awards ceremony will be May 23

• Sixth and seventh grade awards will be May 25

Western Hills Elementary   

• Field day will be May 20

• Kindergarten graduation will be May 24

• First and second grade awards will be May 24

• Fifth grade graduation will be May 25

• Third and fourth grade awards will be May 25

Belton ISD news for the week of May 16

More than 700 students from Belton New Tech High School @Waskow and Belton High School will receive their diplomas in graduation ceremonies on May 26 at the Bell County Expo Center.

The New Tech ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. followed by the BHS ceremony at 1 p.m.

Each BHS graduate will have eight tickets for their friends and family to attend. There is no limit on New Tech well-wishers. Both ceremonies will also be live-streamed on Spectrum channel 17 and at www.bisd.net/graduation. 

For more information, please contact Karen Rudolph at karen.rudolph@bisd.net.  

• Families of returning Belton ISD students for the 2022-2023 school year should complete the verification process in Skyward Family Access. More information is available at bisd.net/enrollment. 

• The Belton ISD school board will hold a workshop at 5 p.m. Monday in the Administration Building (400 N. Wall St, Belton). A regular meeting will follow at 6:15 p.m. in the Pittenger Fine Arts Center.

• Percussionists from Belton High School, Belton Middle School and South Belton Middle will present a concert at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at the BHS Performing Arts Center.

• Parents, staff and students are invited to attend a come-and-go listening session to share their perspectives about school behavior in Belton ISD. Sessions will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday at Sparta Elementary.

• Lake Belton High School will host an athletic parent meeting for incoming ninth grade students at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the LBHS Performing Arts Center.

• The 2022 Wall of Honor induction ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday in the Belton High School gym foyer.

Belton High School

• The orchestra will present a spring concert at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Performing Arts Center.

• The spring football game will be played at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Tiger Field.

• The Madrigal and Harmony spring show will be 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Performing Arts Center.

Lake Belton High School

• The orchestra will perform a concert at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Performing Arts Center.

Belton New Tech High @ Waskow

• The senior awards ceremony will be at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Pittenger Fine Arts Center.

Belton Middle School

• The spring band concert will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday at BHS Performing Arts Center.

Lake Belton Middle School

• The spring orchestra concert will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in the cafeteria.

North Belton Middle School

• The spring band concert will be at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at the Lake Belton High School Performing Arts Center.

• The spring orchestra concert will be at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the cafeteria.

• The seventh grade athletic parent meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the cafeteria.

• The spring choir show will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the LBHS Performing Arts Center.

South Belton Middle School

• A spring band concert will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Belton High School Performing Arts Center. 

• End-of-year award assemblies will be held on Friday.

• The Choir Pop Show, including performances from all of the school’s choirs, will be at 7 p.m. on Friday at the BHS Performing Arts Center.

Charter Oak Elementary

•  Field day is on Friday.

High Point Elementary School

• Field Day is on Friday.

Leon Heights Elementary School

• The fifth grade celebration will be held on Friday.

Miller Heights Elementary School

•  The 55th annual Proud to Be an American Day will be at 8:15 a.m. on Friday.

Sparta Elementary School

• Field day will be on Friday from 8:30-10 a.m. for kindergarten-second grade and 11 a.m.-noon for third-fourth grade.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

today’s best bets

• Trivia Night at Fire Base Brewing Co.

• International Nurses Day at Corky’s. All Llano wines 1/2 off. Bring you badge to redeem specials.

• Steel Magnolias at Temple Civic Theatre. Show times and tickets at templecivictheatre.com

• Lonesome Dove: The Photo Exhibit runs through June 25. The exhibit is a collection of black-and-white framed photos captured by the late Bill Wittliff, renowned photographer, writer, and co-executive producer of the popular Western mini-series.

To include your events in What’s Happening and Today’s Best Bets, email information to OurTownTemple@gmail.com. Photos are welcome to for use in the publication as space permits!

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