Holly Allgood was in her classroom at Tupelo’s Early Childhood Education Center with her student, Bowen Dorr, when the phone call came—she was a match.
Allgood, a Mississippi State University alumna and Tupelo Public School District special education teacher, donated 30% of her liver to Bowen, a young student battling carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency, or CPS1, a rare and life-threatening metabolic condition.
“MSU alumna Holly Allgood’s selfless act of love and concern for one of her students reflects what I believe is a core value of our university, which is service,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “We try to instill in our College of Education graduates the sense that they are stewards of the future in teaching and impacting the lives of their students. Certainly, Holly has taken that to an entirely new level, and all of us in the Mississippi State family admire and applaud her sacrifice and devotion to her student.”
Both Allgood and Bowen are recovering well after the August transplant and have gained national attention for their story. Recently, Jamie Dorr, Bowen’s mother, and Allgood were featured on the “Jennifer Hudson Show” during this week’s national Teacher Appreciation Week. The duo shared Bowen’s story, and Allgood received a $10,000 gift from PaperMate.
“He’s a completely different kid now,” Jamie said in the interview. “…To have someone so close to home that was willing to lay down her life for [my child] when I couldn’t—it’s a gift I can’t put words to. We need more Hollys.”
Allgood, a Tupelo native and 2005 MSU College of Education graduate, has spent nearly two decades teaching special education.
“I knew I would be a match,” Allgood said in the interview. “…If you see a need, act on it. There is so much kindness and goodness, and we don’t hear enough about it.”
MSU’s teacher education programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, which sets rigorous national standards for teacher preparation. As part of MSU’s programs, 100% of teacher education students are placed in a student-teaching internship prior to graduation, and they gain hands-on experience through intensive field placements in elementary and secondary schools before their internship. During field placements, students now can observe and teach at the Partnership Middle School on the MSU campus, one of the nation’s only public middle schools housed at a university.
“Holly Allgood exemplifies the heart of what we strive to instill in every future educator—compassion, courage and an unwavering commitment to the well-being of students,” College of Education Dean Teresa Jayroe said. “Her extraordinary act of generosity and kindness reflects not only the spirit of service we value at Mississippi State University, but the profound impact a dedicated teacher can have on a child’s life. We are incredibly proud to call Holly one of our own.”