Cathie Maple, a teacher in Hilliard City Schools in Ohio, is returning to the classroom after a year and a half of absence due to polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Maple has battled PKD since she was 19 years old and has undergone three kidney transplants. Her most recent transplant took place in May 2023. Dr. Ashley Limkemann, an assistant professor of surgery at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, performed the transplant. Maple expressed her excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to teach again and hopes to meet her donor’s family in 2024. She also encourages more people to consider organ donation.
Maple’s return to teaching highlights the importance of organ donors and the impact they have on the lives of transplant recipients. Both Maple and Dr. Limkemann emphasize the need for more individuals to consider donation. Maple looks forward to making her life purposeful in her donor’s name and is grateful for the opportunity to continue doing what she loves. Despite it being the middle of the school year, Maple anticipates her return to feel like a first day of school. She is excited to work with her colleagues and students in the Hilliard City Schools district once again.
