Early last year, Officer Lindsey Bittorf of Rock County, Wisconsin, was scrolling through Facebook when she came across a post that read, “I have reached out before and I am trying again to see if we can find anyone out there who would be interested in being tested.”
The post was from a mother, and went on to explain that her nine-year-old son, Jackson Arneson, had posterior urethral valves, a condition that causes the kidneys to eventually fail. According to doctors, he had about a year to live unless they could find a replacement kidney with O positive blood and matching antigens.
Bittorf, herself a mother, immediately sent in a blood sample to see if she was a match. She was. After several more tests, she was declared a perfect match for Jackson. She and her husband then collaborated with the boy’s grandparents to surprise the desperate mom.
When two officers appeared on her front porch, Kristi Goll (Jackson’s mother) wasn’t sure what to think. But when they told her the good news, she burst into tears.
The two families quickly became friends. In June of 2017, Officer Bittorf and Jackson underwent surgery, and came out successfully. They have since stayed in touch, and Jackson calls Bittorf his “best friend.”
In February of 2018, Bittorf was bestowed the “Hometown Hero” award by the Wisconsin State Assembly. According to the Wisconsin Legislature website, “Officer Bittorf has gone above and beyond her oath to protect and serve the members of her community,” said Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna), who selected Bittorf to receive the award. “Her selflessness and commitment to her neighbors and community deserve to be honored by the state Assembly.”
The most recent articles online are from June 2018, and report that, despite some complications, Jackson continues to do well. He and Bittorf are still close friends.