Hannah Bomback, a seventh-grade teacher in Burton, Ohio, noticed that one of her students, Arieauna Johnson, was frequently missing class — and learned that Arieauna's mom, Melissa Johnson, was dealing with a serious kidney problem.

Hannah had also taught Melissa's four older children and wanted to help the family any way she could, so she stepped up and donated a kidney.

While Hannah wasn't a direct match, her donation to a stranger through the National Kidney Registry generated a priority voucher. This amazing golden ticket bumped Melissa to the top of the active waiting list for a living donor, giving Melissa a real shot at getting her life back.

Hannah says the transplant process went smoothly and is happy that Melissa and her family are getting a boost.

Hannah admits that she also got a boost. As she explained, "When you give to other people, your life is made so much better. It feels weird because I personally have gotten so much joy out of it. I've benefited so much."