When teacher Rebecca Hjertberg returns

to the classroom this fall she will have a unique story to tell

students about her summer.

“When they ask ‘what did you do over

the summer?’ I can say I donated a kidney to my cousin,” Hjertberg

said.

The Whitefish resident teaches 3- to

5-year-olds at Northwest Montana Head Start and recently donated

her kidney to her cousin, Dean Engle.

Hjertberg gave the kidney because of a

desire to help her cousin, but she also plans to use the experience

to send a message to her students and others.

“What a better way to share with my

preschoolers that doctors don’t have to be scary and that adults

can make the right choice,” she said.

To other adults she says if she can do

it, anyone can. “I’m just an average school teacher,” she said. “If

it’s in their heart anyone can do it.”

It was more than a year ago when Engle,

who lives near Los Angeles, was visiting family in Montana when he

suddenly went into a diabetic coma and his kidneys began to fail.

He came out of the coma, but was put on dialysis and the waiting

list for a new kidney.

When Hjertberg saw him the hospital she

knew immediately that she wanted to help.

She thought back to summers they spent

growing up together on Flathead Lake. She remembered the time

shared at the family cabin and how their grandmother had worked to

make sure the cousins were close to one another.

“He never came to me asking for a

kidney,” she said. “I knew in my heart I wanted to do this. He’s

like a brother.”

Another family member was tested as a

donor, but didn’t match. Hjertberg was tested next and she had

enough DNA markers to be considered a match. It took time to

arrange the surgery and they chose to have it during summer so

Hjertberg wouldn’t have to miss work.

During this time, Engle continued to

have dialysis treatment three times per week. It would take him an

hour to drive to the treatment each way and then another three

hours for the dialysis.

“He couldn’t come and enjoy Montana or

ride his Harley,” Hjertberg said. “It hasn’t changed my life — I

can live life with one kidney. This has increased the quality of

his life. I was just lucky enough to be a match.”

Last month, Hjertberg, along with her

husband Jon, traveled to California for the transplant surgery at

the University of California, San Diego Medical Center. She spent

16 days in the area, first for testing and later for the surgery

and recovery.

Prior to surgery she had various

medical tests and spoke with a psychiatrist. “It was the best

physical I’ve had,” she said.

The surgery lasted two and a half hours

and was performed with robotics. Her surgeon was from Chile and is

world-renowned in kidney transplants.

After the surgery she said she felt

like she was “hit by a truck.”

But after a few days in the hospital

she was walking on the beach and now two months later she feels

back to normal. She was told it would take three months before she

is fully recovered.

The Medical Center presented Hjertberg

with a hero medal after the surgery. Hjertberg said she had no idea

about the medal beforehand, but it was nice to get.

The real reward came from knowing her

cousin’s life has improved and the thanks from his family.

“Before he had to limit his intake of

water every day,” she said. “His potassium was high and he couldn’t

eat bananas. He enjoys eating them again. He said he hasn’t felt

this good in 20 years.”

They’ll always be connected now, she

said.

“He says he thanks me every time he

pees,” she said with a laugh.