Big heart, perfect kidney

Kim Pattison might have set the bar especially high for future winners of Cambridge City’s Small Town Big Heart award.

She cared for hundreds of students before retiring last year after 20 years in nursing for Western Wayne Schools. And, she literally gave a piece of herself — a kidney — for an ailing colleague.

Cambridge City Area Chamber of Commerce honored Pattison at its April 9 annual dinner. The award started nine years ago to recognize those who quietly perform acts of kindness and service without seeking public recognition.

Decades earlier, Pattison wouldn’t know she would be honored by a small town in east central Indiana, but an employment opportunity shaped her family’s future.

As she told chamber leaders, “We came for the job, and it became our forever home.”

Pattison grew up on a farm in northern Indiana and, after earning a nursing degree from Indiana University, she married John. They arrived in Cambridge City in 1992 when he began teaching at Lincoln Middle School.

The mom of two, and now grandma of four, first worked with families with newborns through Birth to Five for eight years before joining WWS.

She developed close relationships with her school colleagues, and when she learned teacher Trina Gulde needed a kidney transplant, Pattison immediately wondered if she could contribute because she was in good health.

Gulde said Pattison’s award was well-deserved and asked what kind of appreciation can be shown for a miracle. 

“I can never thank her enough, but I certainly do try,” Gulde said. “She’s a wonderful lady and the most giving individual I’ve ever met.” 

The likelihood for a successful transplant is higher from living donors than from cadaver organs, Pattison said.

Despite her nursing background, Pattison acknowledged that organ transplants were beyond her expertise and she needed to learn about the many steps that would be required as she decided whether to proceed.

She received assistance from IU Health’s transplant team to undergo many physical and mental health tests. Starting the donation process at age 62, Pattison wasn’t sure she could pass all the requirements, but she did.

Transplant coordinators also follow many ethical protocols to ensure prospective living donors aren’t being coerced or rewarded for their gifts. However, they determined Pattison’s offer was selfless.

Gulde said her surgeon said the donated organ fit perfectly as he looked at Pattison’s kidney and Gulde’s open abdomen, comparing it to inserting a puzzle piece. 

While acknowledging many challenges throughout the process, Pattison remains positive about the experience.

“It truly was a miracle from start to finish,” Pattison said.

Gulde said the odds of two people being that compatible for a transplant in a small town are extremely slim. “God was looking out for me,” Gulde said. 

Receiving an organ is more difficult than giving, and Gulde must follow a lifelong journey of health maintenance. Gulde retired in 2023 after teaching 36 years at Lincoln Middle/High School.

And despite her own recovery being more difficult than she imagined, Pattison remains pleased she could help. She now tries to help other prospective organ donors understand the process.

“If I had to do it over, I wouldn’t even blink,” she said.