A Teacher has donated a kidney to the mother of one of his pupils. David Bocchichio, a 25-year-old teacher at Hockanum Elementary School in East Hartford, Conneticut, says he hopes his example will help his students realise the importance of helping others.

Evelyn Arroyo, a single mother with three girls at the school, said she was initially reluctant to accept such a generous gesture from a non-family member. Only about 5 per cent of living organ donors are not related to the recipient. Arroyo had suffered kidney disease for many years, but relatives who offered to be donors were not suitable matches.

Bocchicio cited Arroyo's keen involvement in her daughters' schooling as a reason for their excellent school records. "She's a really, really great mother," he said.