Four days after the school year ended, 8th grade teacher Nicole Faleri kicked off her summer vacation, but not with a European getaway or a cruise to the Caribbean. Instead, the 27-year-old got one new kidney to replace two failing kidneys.
"I had no signs. I had no symptoms. Nothing. it was the craziest thing ever," Faleri said.
But Faleri's new lease on life came from an unlikely source.
Antonio Matias lives just a few houses down the road in Garnerville.
Six years ago, Matias' wife was checking her Facebook feed when she came across a request posted by a neighbor. That neighbor was looking for a kidney donor. So, he, on a whim, got tested and learned he was a perfect match.
"I knew I was gonna save a life and there is nothing more beautiful than that," Matias said.
Another reason that convinced the father of two to donate his kidney -- Matias' daughter is a former student of Faleri, a teacher who left a lasting impression on a hard-to-crack teenager.
"My daughter is close to the chest. Not a lot of people get in. She got in. And if you ask her about a few teachers, that is one of the few ones she remembers," Matias said.
Kris Felicello knows all about the wonderful attributes of Faleri. The North Rockland superintendent of schools told Eyewitness News that students, teachers and staff all worked together to stand by their colleague.
"Any time we talked to the community about what she was dealing with, everybody wanted to help," said Superintendent of Schools Kris Felicello. "And that's why it really wasn't about us. It was about her and how much she has given back to the community."
In the end, it was a 44-year-old neighbor who gave the most. A gesture of generosity that left Faleri speechless.
"I couldn't make a word. I couldn't finish eating," she said. "I like... was literally shell shocked. Like I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. So, it was the greatest gift."
The kind of gift that lasts a lifetime.
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