November 13 is World Kindness Day, and one school in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, has a very good example of it: its night custodian, Andrew Allen. Allen cleans and takes care of Boston Arts Academy, a school for young artists, after the students go home. About two years ago, he made a choice that changed the life of a young man he had never met.

The young man is Thomas Thermidor. Thomas was born in Haiti and moved to Boston when he was 11. At 21, he started having headaches and chest pains. At the hospital, doctors found that his kidneys had almost stopped working. Within three months, he began dialysis, a treatment in which a machine cleans the blood, and the search for a kidney donor started.

Thomas has two older brothers, and one of them teaches geometry at Boston Arts Academy. Allen and the teacher had become friends at work. One evening, Allen saw that the teacher looked sad. The teacher explained that his younger brother needed a new kidney, and that neither he nor their other brother could be the donor.

Allen went home and read about kidney donation online. That same night, he sent an application to the living donor program at Mass General, a large hospital in Boston.

Tests showed that Allen’s blood type did not match Thomas’s, so his kidney could not go to Thomas. Allen still wanted to donate. Through a swap program, his kidney went to another patient who needed one. Because Allen gave a kidney, Thomas moved up the waiting list. Allen had his surgery on June 3, 2025. On August 20, Thomas received a new kidney from an anonymous donor.

More than a year later, both men are healthy. Thomas graduated from Babson College, a business school near Boston, in May. Now he works at Mass General Brigham, the hospital group that includes Mass General, where he helps raise money for its hospitals. “I pretty much live and breathe thanks to Mass General,” he said. About Allen, he said: “He is the most kind-hearted, selfless person I’ve ever seen.”

On October 2, the school’s foundation, a group that raises money for the school, held a celebration for National Custodian Day. Allen did not know that he was going to be honoured. He received the Unsung Hero Award, for someone who does good things without asking for praise, and official letters of praise from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Ayanna Pressley, a member of the U.S. Congress from Massachusetts. “I was in shock,” Allen said.

Allen does not think he should take the credit for himself. “Anybody can do this,” he said. Tyrone Sutton, the head of the school, sees it differently. “He goes way out of his way to do great acts of kindness for our students and staff,” Sutton said.

Thomas now hopes to pass the kindness on one day, without anyone knowing it was him. “I would like to do things that are anonymous, being some sort of angel,” he said.

Sources: Boston Globe, Good Morning America

November 13 is World Kindness Day, and a school in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, has a striking example of it in Andrew Allen, its night custodian. The 53-year-old father of two looks after Boston Arts Academy, a school for young artists, once the students have gone home. About two years ago, he made a decision that changed the life of a young man he had never met.

That young man is Thomas Thermidor. Born in Haiti, he moved to Boston at 11. Soon after he turned 21, headaches and chest pains sent him to hospital, where doctors found stage 5 kidney failure, the stage at which the kidneys can no longer do their job. Within three months he was on dialysis, a treatment in which a machine filters the blood, and the search for a donor began.

One of Thomas’s two older brothers teaches geometry at Boston Arts Academy, and he and Allen had grown close over the years. One evening, Allen noticed that the teacher seemed down. The teacher explained that his younger brother needed a kidney, and that both he and their other brother had been ruled out as donors.

Allen went home and read up on living donation. That same night, he applied to the living donor program at Mass General, one of Boston’s biggest hospitals.

Tests showed that Allen’s blood type was not a match for Thomas’s, so his kidney could not go to Thomas. Allen went ahead anyway. Through a swap program known as a paired exchange, his kidney went to another patient in need. Because Allen had donated, Thomas moved up the waiting list. Allen had his surgery on June 3, 2025. On August 20, Thomas received a new kidney from an anonymous donor.

Thomas says he “couldn’t believe it” when he learned that someone he did not know had come forward. “Andrew has been a beacon of light in a place that was very dark,” Thomas said. “He is the most kind-hearted, selfless person I’ve ever seen.” More than a year later, both men are in good health, but Thomas is still taking it all in. “It is really heavy; I have somebody else’s part living inside of me,” he said.

Thomas graduated from Babson College, a business school near Boston, in May. Today he works at Mass General Brigham, the hospital group that includes Mass General, where he helps raise money for its hospitals. “I pretty much live and breathe thanks to Mass General,” he said.

On October 2, the Boston Arts Academy Foundation, which raises money for the school, held an event for National Custodian Day. Allen had no idea that he was the one being honoured. He received the Unsung Hero Award, along with official proclamations from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. “I was in shock,” Allen said. “It was surreal.”

Allen says it does not feel right to take the credit for himself. “Anybody can do this. It’s been such a great experience,” he said. The head of the school, Tyrone Sutton, sees something bigger in it. “With all of the upheaval in the world, I think [Allen is] just a reminder of the good that is still out there,” he said.

Thomas, for his part, hopes to pass the kindness on. “I’ve been really incredibly fortunate,” he said. “I would like to do things that are anonymous, being some sort of angel.”

Sources: Boston Globe, Good Morning America