A Selfless Gift

Photo by Megan Bean

By Allison Matthews

Reagan Scott says she’s not the type of person who would donate an organ to a stranger; however, that’s exactly what the Pensacola, FL, native did when she learned of another student’s need of a lifesaving kidney transplant.

The experience has changed both her life and that of the recipient, Keith Fell, Jr., a Louisiana State University student also from Pensacola.

The successful surgery took place in December 2019. When MSU’s Dean Thomas Bourgeois heard about the senior accounting major’s selfless generosity, he knew she would be a worthy recipient for the Dean of Students’ Award of Excellence, bestowed on students who exemplify exceptional standards of character. The award, established in honor of retired Dean of Students Mike White, was created 14 years ago. Scott is only the 10th student to receive the honor.

Upon presenting Scott with the award in July, Bourgeois told her, “You provide hope and joy in a world that desperately needs people like you. My hope for all MSU students is for them to go out into the world and make a difference. You knocked it out of the park.”

It was fall of 2019 when Scott saw an online plea by Fell’s mother to find a matching kidney donor for her child. Scott felt compassion for someone her own age going through a difficult health crisis and took a short Mayo Clinic survey that was attached to the social media post. To her surprise, she soon got a reply that she was a potential match.

The Clinic called to ask if she would proceed with a blood sample, which she completed at MSU’s Longest Student Health Center. The results showed she was an excellent match for Fell, who had seemed healthy throughout his childhood but had unknowingly developed kidney failure.

“I talked to my parents, and at first they were hesitant because it was all new to us,” Scott recalls.

Nevertheless, she proceeded through a rigorous process of physical and psychological tests to confirm her eligibility to donate.

I remember walking around thinking, ‘What am I doing here?’” Scott says of the process that caused purple bruises on her arms from all the needle sticks. “Like most people, I hate needles! It was a very big deal for me. It was so hard to wrap my head around what I was doing.

She explains that the very thorough screening process goes over all the reasons people might choose not to donate, including health risks and the possibility of needing another kidney themselves in the future.

“They want to make sure you have the right intentions, and they give you all the negatives,” Scott says. “They really make sure you actually want to do it and that you know all the information.”

The recipient and his family were not aware at that point that she was a potential match. She questioned herself repeatedly, wondering if she should take the risk for a young man whom she didn’t even know. She moved forward, making a pros-and-cons list as she considered her choices. Her parents were supportive and did not try to persuade her in any way as she made her decision.

“Mom was with me, and that was very much needed,” she recalls of the donor testing that took place during her fall break.

As she moved toward a final determination, her thoughts seesawed from “No, this is scary, and I’m definitely not going to do it” to “Yes, these people need help.”

Dean Thomas Bourgeois presented the Dean of Students’ Award of Excellence to Scott, the 10th recipient in 14 years.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Bourgeois

In the end, the reasons to donate outweighed the reasons not to. Scott was inspired by other donors and recipients she met in the hospital waiting rooms, and her chance of having future kidney problems was very low.

“I did a lot of research, and one of the main points I considered was that if I were in his position, I wouldn’t want to be on dialysis,” she states.

“I decided I don’t want to hoard my organs,” she concludes. “I don’t want to have the attitude that I might need this kidney later, so I’m going to let you die because of the smaller chance that I might need it in the future.”

The timeline of events allowed the surgery to be scheduled during Christmas break, and she didn’t have to miss school. Scott and Fell did not meet until the day before surgery, which took place at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL, on December 13.

“The kidney started working before they even sewed him up in the O.R.!” Scott says.

Her own recovery entailed some pain and discomfort for only about a week, and she was amazed at how quickly she felt back to normal.

“I was doing a lot better than I expected,” she says. “I healed so fast, I actually moved to Memphis on January 5 and started an internship the next day. All in all, it was a lot less painful than I expected. I started working 40 hours a week during tax season and had no issues.”

Scott went on to graduate summa cum laude in May with her bachelor’s degree in accounting.

In June, she became a graduate student in MSU’s Master of Professional Accountancy program and is a graduate assistant for the Adkerson School of Accountancy.

“Obviously, I love it here, so I didn’t want to move,” she says. “I love the teachers and feel comfortable. Grad school puts you on the right track to getting your CPA, and Mississippi State is really good at setting you up with internships, most of which lead to jobs.”

She has a job offer with Dixon Hughes Goodman to work in the accounting firm’s Memphis office beginning in the fall of 2021, when she expects to complete her master’s program and take the CPA Exam.

Scott’s undergraduate years at Mississippi State, where both parents and her older sister also attended, were a full and rewarding experience that included her stint as manager of the women’s tennis team and the completion of two internships.

“I had the best four years of my life,” she says. “I haven’t wasted a second, and I have zero regrets in college – I’ve done everything I wanted to do.”

MSU President Mark Keenum met with Reagan Scott in July to congratulate her and hear about her experience.

Photo by Megan Bean

Scott said she has great respect for university leaders, so being recognized by Dean Bourgeois – as well as MSU President Mark Keenum, who also met with her in July – is an honor.

She says donating her kidney has been “100 percent the best experience of my life.” She recently signed up to become a bone marrow donor.

She continues to keep in close contact with Fell. His mother, who posted the notice that connected them, passed away over the summer. Scott hopes to stay in touch with Fell and the rest of his family “forever.”

The response from others has been overwhelming support – even from people she hadn’t talked with since middle school.

“I’ve never felt so loved and supported in my life,” she comments. “My closest family members were worried, but I can’t believe how supportive my parents were. They didn’t try to persuade me one way or another. They were very open and always there for me. I have even more appreciation for them now.”

Scott still insists, “It’s so unlike me and out of the blue for me to do this.” But she also says her perspective has changed. “Instead of assuming someone else will help, it’s good to be the person that offers help.”