A “lesson in selflessness” unfolded at IS 73 in Maspeth when a teacher received a life-saving kidney transplant from a colleague he barely knew.
Maggie Goodman, 34, of East Atlantic Beach, Long Island, heard about her fellow teacher’s kidney struggle when she saw a post from his mother on Facebook and went above and beyond to help.
Goodman, a sixth-grade special needs educator, learned that Thomas Coveney, 47, of Rego Park, was in dire need of a kidney after being diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a severe kidney disease that he’d battled for over a decade. With his health deteriorating, Coveney was added to the kidney transplant list six months ago.
Despite working in the same school, Goodman and Coveney were hardly close. However, when Goodman heard of his plight, she felt compelled to act. Without hesitation, she underwent compatibility testing and was a perfect match.
“This was both unexpected and amazing,” said Coveney, an eighth-grade social studies teacher. “It’s such a relief. It brought back my faith in humanity. There are good people willing to do selfless things.”
The transplant procedure took place on Feb. 10 at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) in Manhasset. Goodman, who is a graduate of Boston College, underwent surgery to donate her kidney to Coveney.
“Being in service to others is a credo at Boston College,” Goodman stated. “I was in a unique position to help. It was meant to be.”
The Northwell Transplant Institute, renowned for its high success rates, conducted the surgeries at its state-of-the-art Petrocelli Surgical Pavilion. Dr. Ahmed Fahmy, transplant surgeon at Northwell, performed the living donation surgery, while Dr. Aaron Winnick completed the transplant for Coveney.
“He did amazingly well after surgery and went home after four days,” Dr. Winnick said of Coveney’s quick recovery. “He’s feeling much better and looking much better. That’s the beauty of a living donation.”
Living donor kidney transplants, like the one Goodman provided, offer patients improved outcomes compared to those who receive kidneys from deceased donors.
In 2024, 207 adult kidney transplants were performed at Northwell, with about one-third of them coming from living donors. Nationally, nearly 1,000 kidney transplants in the Northeast alone were made possible by living donors.
“Between the supply and demand is the gap that we want to fill,” Dr. Fahmy explained. “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. People who receive a living donor kidney do far better.”
Coveney, a married father of one, is already feeling the benefits of his new kidney. As his energy and vitality continue to improve, he hopes to return to the classroom in May.
As for Goodman, she is back to her teaching duties, and their bond has strengthened in ways neither could have predicted. In a heartfelt tribute to their shared journey, the pair have named the kidney they now share “Renaldo.”
Their remarkable story has not only touched their colleagues but has also served as a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact that living organ donations can have.
In an age where the need for kidney donors is so great, Goodman’s act of kindness shines as an inspiring beacon of hope for others in similar situations.
