Arnold “Sandy” Strauss, a retired teacher and coach of Valley Central Middle School and Wallkill High School, received a special gift two weeks ago: a spare kidney from Becky Maher, a Valley Central graduate and Monticello School teacher, allowing him to continue living a healthy, happy life with his family.

In early 2023, Strauss needed a kidney transplant and searched for donors through the Albany Medical Center. Unable to find a donor after several months, his wife Diane suggested that he post his situation online to spread word. Following his Facebook post in mid-March, numerous residents from Montgomery and Wallkill circulated Strauss’ story, and many signed up to become potential donors.

“We were with the Albany Medical Center for a while but we weren’t making any progress,” Strauss said. “About six to eight months ago, my wife said to post it on Facebook, and the response was overwhelming. So many people signed up to donate.”

Out of all the possible donors, Strauss found a perfect match: Becky Maher. In 2017, Maher grew interested in donating after her stepfather, who needed a lung transplant, passed away. Last February, she decided she would sign up and become a donor, just two weeks before Strauss posted his situation.

Since I was young, I’d see people need a donor, and it always tugged on my heartstrings,” Maher said. “In 2017, when my step-father needed a transplant, I learned you can sign up to become a (living) donor.”

“In February, I was talking with a friend and I decided that I would add kidney donor to my bucket list. We then found out two weeks later that Mr Strauss needed a donor.” she continued. “I never had him as a teacher, but his presence was felt everywhere and he was a great role model for everyone at the middle school. He was one of the teachers who inspired me to become a teacher myself.”

The two went through with the kidney transplant August 19 at the Hackensack University Hospital; both reported a smooth operation thanks to the hospital’s doctors and staff. While both are still recovering from the transplant, Strauss has been feeling much better with his new kidney and Maher was thrilled to help him.

“The operation went beautifully. Hackensack is a top donation hospital,” Strauss said. “It hurt like heck, and I’m taking more pills than ever, but it went really well and I’m feeling better each day.”

“The first day was pretty tough, I’ve never done something like this before. Been feeling a little tired but I was told it’s temporary,” Maher said. “Otherwise I was comfortable doing the transplant at Hackensack. The statistics are very high for recovery and you’re saving a life, so the benefits outweigh any nerves.”

While Strauss was able to find a matching donor, many other are not as fortunate. State Assemblyman Brian Maher, Becky’s husband, stated that over 90,000 Americans currently wait for a kidney transplant, but only 3,800 became living donors in 2024. He and Becky encourage everyone to become donors if possible, emphasizing that one can lead a healthy life with only one kidney and save a life with their spare.

“I am so proud of Becky as a husband, and so happy as a father that our children got to witness and experience true heroism and selflessness. Now, we are both more inspired than ever to get the word out to the rest of the country,” Brian said. “Diane DiVittorio Strauss and Sandy have such a beautiful family and are such great humans. Being able to ensure they enjoy their golden years together was not a sacrifice; it was a blessing for the Maher family. We are so excited for the Strauss family to become a part of our lives for many years to come.”

Strauss thanks not only Maher for her donation but also the potential donors who signed up, the family and friends who promoted his story, the staff at Hackensack University Hospital and Dutchess Dialysis, and Diane.

Interested in becoming a donor? Visit kidneyregistry.com to learn more.