Durga and school guard Pat Mertens began working at Kimball Elementary School in Kimball, Minnesota, the same year.
For the past nine years, their families have been well acquainted. Durga’s children called Mertens “Papa” because they grew up in his wife’s daycare center.
The 64-year-old left-handed was given treatment three days a week and Mertens was known at the school to be on dialysis.
The school community organized a “Hots for Bad” fundraiser on January 31 to help pay for Mertens transportation for dialysis. But no one knew the severity of her health woes until her daughter Kayla Matton posted a request for a kidney donor on social media that night.
“We are now trying to find someone with type O blood and someone who is willing to donate a kidney,” Matten wrote in a Facebook post.
“Some families have been tested and unfortunately they are not of the same blood type or have other health problems that prevent them from donating,” Matten wrote. “We know what prayer can do, and get that word right there.”
Durga says she saw the post and decided she would help without hesitation.
“I wanted to do something big for someone for a while and I had no idea what it would be like,” Durga told CNN. “When I read the post from her daughter, I was cool. I had a feeling it would be mine. I knew from that moment that I was going to be a match.”
Mertens’ wife, Linda, shared a similar sentiment. The next day, Durga contacted Linda to announce her plans to become a donor. “She was sitting next to her daughter and she turned around and told me it was going to be Erin,” Durga said. “We both just knew.”
The transplant process is delayed when the corona virus infects. However, they were able to progress with virtual lab visits and appointments, as well as by mail.
On June 12, Durga and Mertens discovered that it was a match. He organized a celebration at his home and wore a green shirt to mark his kidney disease, with the word “donor” written across his chest. Both were emotional.
“Pat didn’t have a lot of words, not a lot to hug. But we hugged, we were both so excited, we both, it’s really going to happen,” Durga said. “He’s going to get a new kidney.”
The transplant operation took place on July 3rd. Durga says she never got nervous because she knew it was an event that had to happen.
Today, both patients have recovered. When it reopened in the fall, the two returned to work at the school, where there were social distance activities. As the number of corona virus cases increased in the area, the school was transformed into a distance learning model on November 16th.
Mertens says he is surprised by his new kidney and would like to thank Erin and all her doctors and medical staff.
“Everything we say is that she is an angel,” Mertens said of Durga.