'It Was Meant To Be': NY Teacher's Selfless Act Gives Colleague New Lease On Life

When Maggie Goodman, 34, a sixth-grade special needs teacher from East Atlantic Beach, saw a plea for a kidney donor on social media, she didn’t just scroll past.

The post was from the mother of her colleague, Thomas Coveney, 47, an eighth-grade social studies teacher from Rego Park, who had been suffering from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) for over a decade. His condition had worsened, and no one in his family was a match.

Without hesitation, Goodman got tested—and to everyone’s surprise, she was a perfect match. The two weren’t particularly close before, but now they share something deeper than a workplace—they share a kidney.

“This was both unexpected and amazing,” Coveney said. “It’s such a relief. It brought back my faith in humanity. There are good people willing to do selfless things.”

The two underwent successful transplant surgeries on Monday, Feb. 10, at North Shore University Hospital’s Petrocelli Surgical Pavilion. Dr. Ahmed Fahmy removed Goodman’s kidney, while Dr. Aaron Winnick performed the transplant on Coveney.

Now, Goodman is already back in the classroom, while Coveney is recovering well and plans to return to teaching in May. The pair have gone from mere acquaintances to forever connected—even giving their shared kidney a name: Renaldo.

“Being in service to others is a credo at Boston College,” Goodman said, explaining her decision. “I was in a unique position to help. It was meant to be.”

Coveney’s case highlights a growing need for living kidney donors. The waiting list for a kidney transplant in the US can stretch as long as a decade, but a living donor can change that—and lead to better outcomes, Northwell Health said.

The hospital system performed 207 adult kidney transplants in 2024, with about one-third of those transplants coming from living donors, most being family members. However, cases like Goodman’s—where a non-family member steps up—are rarer but incredibly impactful.

“Between the supply and demand is the gap that we want to fill,” Dr. Fahmy said. “We look for people like Maggie to come forward to donate a kidney. The outcome of living donor donation is better than the outcome of deceased donors.”

Now, thanks to a selfless act of kindness, a teacher who spent years educating others on history gets to write a new chapter in his own life.

To learn more about kidney donation, visit the Northwell Health website.

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