Teacher adopts 7th grader in need of kidney transplant

AURORA, Colorado -- A 7th grader is one step closer to getting a kidney transplant thanks to his teacher.

He's given the boy a home so that he can be added to the transplant list.

Damien was diagnosed with a disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis that's taken a toll on his organs, leaving him in need of a kidney transplant.

Damien and his math teacher Finn Lanning met at the start of the school year. Within weeks the 13-year-old was being pulled from school to live in a hospital because another foster family couldn't care for him.

"Over the course of the years, I ended up in foster homes because of my medical needs," explained Damien.

Lanning went on to explain that, "When you're living in the hospital, you're not able to be on the transplant list because folks who don't have stable housing are considered high risk for their organ to not work."