‘Team Decker’ campaign grows as teacher searches for kidney donor

Javari Burnett | Spectrum News 1

For more than two decades, Scott Decker has spent his career impacting students inside Monroe classrooms.

“They don't want to leave until they fist bump Mr. Decker,” Scott Decker said. “That makes my day.”

Decker has taught in Monroe Local Schools for more than 20 years. He also met his wife there while she was student teaching in the district.

“I don't want to give it up,” Decker said. “That's a hard piece when you know you're not feeling well.”

Now, the longtime Ohio teacher is facing one of the biggest challenges of his life; searching for a kidney donor.

Decker is living with Stage 5 polycystic kidney disease, a genetic condition that causes cysts to grow on the kidneys and can eventually lead to kidney failure.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the disease affects about 500,000 people in the United States.

Nearly 20 years ago, Decker received a kidney transplant from his father. But that transplanted kidney is now functioning at about 13%.

After a previous transplant, health experts say finding another compatible donor can become more difficult, limiting the number of possible matches. 

“The pool gets a little bit smaller and smaller with each transplant,” said Brandon Maddy, transplant coordinator at The Christ Hospital Network. “So that's why it's really important for patients that are as young as Scott to try to find a living donor, to extend the life of that transplant.”

But Decker is not facing the fight alone. Parents, coworkers, students and community members have rallied together through the “Team Decker” initiative, helping raise awareness and support the search for a donor.

The group has sold shirts and keychains as part of its efforts.

Ashley Glock said watching the impact Decker had on her daughter made getting involved an easy decision.

“He was paying attention to my daughter's personality and her likes and dislikes, her strengths and weaknesses,” Glock said. “That really meant a lot. And that really showed me he's a teacher who cares about every single student despite what he's going through.”

As support for Team Decker continues to grow, Decker’s wife says she sees the impact of the disease in ways others do not.

“I can't imagine if something were to happen to him,” said Stephanie Decker. “I just can't. It's not even a possibility in my brain.”

Despite the uncertainty, Decker says his faith along with the hope of creating more memories with his family and students helps keep him moving forward.

“There's a little bit of fear that I might have to do dialysis, or I might have a little bit of fear that maybe something won't come through,” Decker said. “But I don't let that happen.”

Decker is currently on the waitlist for a kidney transplant, according to officials with Christ Hospital.

Supporters say they plan to continue spreading awareness through the Team Decker initiative as the search for a living donor continues.