UMass student generates over $18,000 for high school teacher’s kidney transplant

‘He doesn’t think he deserves it – but we all know he does’

We’ve all had that one teacher in high school – the one that really pushes you to do great. The one that you can tell anything if you need to. The one who shows that they genuinely care about each and every one of their students. For many of the students of Shepherd Hill Regional High School in Dudley, MA, including UMass student Garrett Mann (and myself), that teacher was Matt Morway.

When I was in high school, Mr. Morway was always known for his eccentricity. He used strange euphemisms (“To be tongue flapping is to be test flunking!”), played pranks on students, or just had a great general day to day demeanor. He was also known to be the teacher you go to if you needed a library pass but weren’t in his study hall (my fellow Shepherd Hill classmates will remember this well).

Garrett Mann

Sadly, however, the reason I’m writing this piece isn’t simply to honor one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. Instead, I’m here to say that this great man is in need of an emergency kidney transplant.

Through dedication he has adopted a healthy lifestyle that began when I was a junior in high school – he lost 130 pounds and this lifestyle has, thankfully, allowed him to be in much better shape than most needing a kidney.

But the sad fact of the matter is that even with this healthy lifestyle, his dire need for a kidney truly is a matter of life-or-death. By some beautiful act of kindness, however, it seems that Matt Morway may be able to ease his worries slightly, and it’s all thanks to one of our classmates, Garrett Mann.

Several days ago, Garrett created a GoFundMe account (unbeknownst to Mr. Morway) to raise donations to fund hospital costs for Mr. Morway’s kidney transplant. The initial goal was $5,000. Within 24 hours the funds were in excess of $10,000 – more than double the initial goal.

Mr. Morway’s importance to the community is clear, and the incredible ability that one person can have in helping save someone’s life.

When I reached out to Garrett Mann to ask if he had anything to add, he responded that just wants people to head to the UMass Memorial Health Care’s Organ Transplant Team page, to check if they are eligible and willing to donate a kidney.

Garrett says that Mr. Morway “knows about [the GoFundMe] page, I don’t know if he knows it’s gotten up to 19k though.

“He really just says that he doesn’t know what to say and that he is humbled so many people got together to support him and that he doesn’t think he deserves it – but we all know he does.”

In the wake of press coverage on the GoFundMe page,  the donations raised by the GoFundMe page have exceeded $18,000. It would be beautiful if we UMass students could help keep this going, especially since the average total finances for a Kidney transplant in the U.S can add up to about $260,000.

When I graduated from Shepherd Hill Regional High School in 2012, Matt Morway was the first person I hugged before receiving my diploma, even before hugging my own parents. I hope that the attention brought to Garrett Mann’s GoFundMe project can produce enough funds to allow Mr. Morway to continue inspiring students to do great things in life, and to never give up.

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