MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -- More than 2,000 people in the state of Wisconsin are waiting for a life saving kidney transplant. But, finding a match can be difficult.

At four-years-old, Lyla Carreyn's journey through life hasn't been easy. Just last year, doctors told the Carreyns that Lyla had kidney failure. The Carreyns launched a nation-wide search but they were left waiting.

"It's a parent's biggest nightmare. There's nothing you can imagine that is worse than the feeling when someone tells you that your child is critically ill and not know if your child is going to live,” said Dena Carreyn, Lyla’s mom.

Last October, Lyla was sent home from school after a spiked fever. Dena took Lyla to urgent care.

"We were in an ambulance on our way to Children's Hospital. The ambulance driver radioed in that he had a three-year-old in renal failure. That was the first time I knew this was really serious. They told us she might not make it,” said Carreyn.

Lyla got sick right before Halloween and fell into a coma soon after that. She woke up just before Thanksgiving and spent two months in the hospital.

"During that time she had plasma and blood transfusion, she went through chemotherapy and hemodialysis,” said Carreyn.

Lyla needed a kidney transplant and in the meantime Lyla has to be on dialysis for 12 to 14 hours, every day. The Carreyns started a search for a donor.

"We had family and friends from California to Virginia and everywhere in between getting tested and none of them were a match,” said Carreyn.

Dena didn’t know someone at Lyla's school, was getting tested to find out if they were a match.

"There was something inside of me, I just knew that we were going to be a match,” said Beth Battista, Lyla’s teacher.

Lyla's teacher Beth Battista's tests showed she was the perfect match. Battista wanted to surprise their family with news.

"We set up a fake meeting that there was a new teacher starting,” said Battista.

A meeting that was normal. Dena could train the new teacher about Lyla's medication.

"She was like ‘where's the new teacher?’ I handed her the gift,” said Battista.

Inside was a note.

"The note says I may be her teacher now. But, soon a little piece of me will be with Lyla forever. I am Lyla's kidney donor,” said Carreyn.

"No little kid should have to deal with that,” said Battista.

A teacher giving a little girl hope for the future.

"There's no way you can express with words the amount of gratitude that you have towards someone who gives you a gift like that. How do you thank someone for saving your child's life?” said Carreyn.

The goal is to have the kidney transplant in February. This October, Lyla will be getting her wish granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

To learn more about becoming a living donor click

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Copyright 2016: WMTV