A Serendipitous Social Post Sparks a Lifesaving Act and Inspires Many
By Dan Dowling, Red Cross regional communications manager “I felt like that was a sign. It seemed like everything fell into place. I felt super, super strong that it was something I was supposed to do.” Summer Stoutes, a principal at Clarendon Elementary school in Clarendon, Vermont, had never considered becoming a kidney donor before she saw a family’s plea on social media. “I saw on Facebook that a local family had posted that their son needed a kidney donation. I didn't know the family, but I saw the post being shared,” she said. Summer’s husband is a cancer survivor, and had a kidney removed. On the day Summer saw the post, it was her husband’s five-year anniversary of being cancer free. “Right away I had a draw to it and felt like it was something that I needed to do. I felt like I was going to be the one to do it, which was kind of strange,” Summer recalled. Summer called the hospital and began to get information about the process. After three months of intensive tests and sc
