Tyler school helps raise money for dad's kidney transplant

Six years ago Ryan Bockover went to the doctor for a routine check up and left learning he had kidney problem.

"They found out that my creatine levels were through the roof, so from their on they started doing all the test and trying to figure out what was going on with it," Bockover said.

In November 2018,  Bockover found out his name would be placed on the kidney transplant list. That's when he said it was time to tell his two children about his medical problems. But somehow his second grader Skylar didn't quite keep the secret.

"He decided to come to school and tell his teacher and everybody what was going on," Bockover said. "And they wanted to see what they could do to help us out."

That when the school decided to host a fun run in place of this years field day. So students made lap after lap, all for a good cause.

"We pride ourselves on being really family oriented and we just want to show our families that we love then and we want to take care of them when they are in need," administration assistant Kristina Cawthon said.

While most of the money raised will go to buying a playground set for the campus, the school will also be giving Bockover a portion of the money for his medical bills.

"Growing up in the Dallas area, we didn't have anything like this," Bockover said. "They do fundraising and all that but its not this family out here and I'm happy to be here."

East Texas showing just how much of a family they are, even though they have only known each other for two years, Bockover's donor is a mom from his sons cub scouts troop.

"Never in the back of my head did I think I would be a match but it happened and so I'm giving him a kidney," kidney donor Emily Phillips said.

The news coming in that Phillips was a perfect match only a week after Bockover had been put on the transplant list.

"I'm doing something to help somebody else," Phillips said. "It feels like I actually have a purpose for all of the crazy things that I've been through this feels like a way to pay it forward."

As students made laps around the field, the money kept coming in raising over 18-thousand-dollars. And the Tyler Classical Academy giving the Bockover family five-thousand-dollars to help pay for their medical bills.

"It's amazing on how the community wants to step up and help people such as myself," Bockover said.

If you would like to help the Bockover and Philips  families with their medical expenses, you can go to to their Go Fund Me page.

Ryan Bockover family: Help Ryan get a kidney.

Emily Phillips family: Help me donate my kidney