[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 10, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING ROBIN MACH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BLAINE LUETKEMEYER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 10, 2021

  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, most of us had that special teacher 
growing up who went the extra mile and left a lasting impression on us. 
All these years later a few still come to mind right away. Recently a 
Missouri teacher, Robin Mach who teaches preschool in the Meramec 
Valley R-III School District, gave a whole new meaning to ``going the 
extra mile'' and became a real-life hero when she donated a kidney to 
one of her students.
  Kayleigh Kulage was born premature at 26 weeks weighing only 15 
ounces. From her very first day on earth Kayleigh had to fight for her 
survival and persevere in the face of the longest of odds, including 
living the first five years of her life with failing kidneys. In the 
summer of 2019, a Doris Hoffman Early Learning Center teacher met 
Kayleigh Kulage at a dentist office in Pacific, Missouri and encouraged 
the Kulage family to apply for educational services. In the fall of 
2019, Ms. Robin, as Kayleigh calls her, began providing in-home 
educational services to Kayleigh. One year later, Kayleigh met the 
criteria to be placed on the transplant list. Ms. Robin talked to the 
Kulages about the donation process and ultimately decided to get tested 
to see if she would be a match for Kayleigh. As fate would have it, the 
two were a match, and on February 3, 2021, Robin and Kayleigh had 
successful surgeries to complete the transplant.
  Robin Mach began working with pre-kindergarten students in 1999 and 
has long been known for going above the norm for her students. Dr. 
Stephanie Bechard stated, ``Ms. Robin has always had a very strong 
sense of community and supporting our students outside of school. She 
always thinks of others in need and sees how all things affect our 
students and families. Her heart for our students, families, and 
community is monumental.''
  Monumental is an excellent way to describe the selflessness Robin 
Mach has displayed. She risked her life for her student and in doing so 
changed lives of that little girl and her family forever. She is a true 
hero among us, and we are lucky to have her educating our students and 
our community.

                          ____________________