Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell

About Terry Lee Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell holds a bachelor's degree in English from Cal State Fullerton and a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Cal State San Bernardino. She also holds a certificate for Interior Design Level 1 from Mt. San Antonio College. She has been an educator in the Corona Norco Unified School District for more than 30 years.

Ohio teacher Eddie McCarthy donates a kidney to student

Posted on by

High school sophomore Roman McCormick with his Geometry teacher, Eddie McCarthy. McCarthy teaches at Whitener High School in Toledo, Ohio. Photo credit: Washington Post

Every once in a while a story emerges about an admirable teacher who has made a heroic sacrifice for a student. Eddie McCarthy, a high school geometry teacher from Toledo, Ohio, is one of those incredibly noble teachers. After hearing about the severe medical condition of his student, Roman McCormick, the teacher volunteered to donate one of his own kidneys to the young man.

Roman, a sophomore at Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio, had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease, the last stage before kidney failure. Unfortunately, no one in the fifteen-year-old’s family was deemed a viable candidate as a live donor for a kidney transplant. It appeared that Roman would be forced to go on dialysis in order to prolong his life until a suitable kidney from a deceased donor could be located, a wait that could stretch from three to five years. And there was no certainty that Roman would survive that long.

Roman’s Geometry teacher, Eddie McCarthy, was stunned to learn about his student’s dilemma. “He always turned his work in on time, and he was definitely one of my best students,” the educator explained. “But I didn’t realize he’d been going through something this serious.” That’s when Eddie stepped up to the plate and volunteered to donate one his own healthy kidneys.

The surgery was performed on July 19, 2023, at the University of Michigan University Hospital in Ann Arbor, near Detroit. Doctors have deemed the procedure a rousing success.

Eddie knows that Roman won’t be in any of his classes in the upcoming school year. But the teacher says he is looking forward to giving him a high-five in the hallway. “It will be pretty crazy when I watch him walk by,” says Eddie. “I’ll be able to say, ‘There goes my kidney.'”

For inspiration as you go back to school, read stories about exceptional teachers

Posted on by

The end of summer is fast approaching, and it’s time to start thinking about going back to school. When contemplating how to be the best teacher you can be this year, it helps to have some really great role models. There are many gifted educators in our history, and also in our present time, that can serve as excellent examples of the profession. Recognizing and honoring them is what this blog is all about! Each week I endeavor to share stories about wonderful teachers that can serve as a source of ideas, inspiration, and pride for us all.

You can learn more about some remarkable teachers in my books, Chalkboard Champions and Chalkboard Heroes. Each volume is packed with insightful stories about remarkable educators in American history, and the historical implications of their pioneering work. These books make great sources of inspiration for individuals in the teaching profession and those aspiring to become teachers some day. They are also appealing to history buffs and social scientists.

Among the stories in Chalkboard Champions is that of Charlotte Forten Grimke, an African American born into freedom who taught emancipated slaves as the Civil War raged around her. Read the eyewitness account of the Wounded Knee Massacre through the eyes of teacher Elaine Goodale Eastman. Learn about educator Mary Tsukamoto, imprisoned in a WWII Japanese internment camp. Read about Mississippi Freedom Summer teacher Sandra Adickes who defied Jim Crow laws to help her students integrate the Hattiesburg Public Library. Marvel at the pioneering work of Anne Sullivan Macy, the teacher of Helen Keller, the efforts of teacher Clara Comstock to find homes for Orphan Train riders, and the dedication of Jaime Escalante, the educator who proved that inner city Latino youths could succeed on the rigorous AP Calculus exam.

In Chalkboard Heroes, read about dedicated educators who were heroes both inside and outside of the classroom, including WWI veteran Henry Alvin Cameron and Civil War veteran Francis Wayland Parker. Learn about teachers who were social reformers such as Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights activist Robert Parris Moses, suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, and Native American rights advocate Zitkala-Sa. Discover brave pioneers who took great risks to blaze a trail for others to follow such as Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space; Willa Brown Chappell, the aviatrix who taught Tuskegee airmen to fly; Etta Schureman Jones, the Alaskan teacher who was interned in a POW camp in Japan during WWII; and Olive Mann Isbell, who established the first English school in California while the Mexican American War raged around her.

All of these stories about remarkable educators can remind you of why you chose to become a teacher in the first place, affirm your faith in the value of the profession, and ignite your passion for a new school year. Order your copies from amazon.com today! And be sure to subscribe to the blog for your daily dose of inspiration. Above all, have a great year!