Like many Springfield teachers, K.J. Reid returned to school last month after a long break, but in his case, much of his time off was spent fighting for his life and trying to recover from a sudden illness that nearly killed him.
In February 2023, the respected 17-year-veteran science teacher at Springfield High School was nearly felled by a mysterious strep infection that threw his body into toxic shock and ultimately cost him his arms and legs. After weeks in a coma, at least one full cardiac arrest, 16 surgeries and four amputated limbs, he's returning to the classroom, eager to teach.
"The first thing I asked when I woke up from my coma was, 'How are my kids? How are my students doing?' It's really weird," Reid said. "As a teacher, they're not 'your kids,' obviously. But they're your kids. You form bonds with them and you want them to succeed. I know I'm good at teaching what I teach. I want them to be able to go off to college and actually be successful in science."
But science didn't always seem to be on his side. His first week in the hospital, his mother, Christianna, a registered nurse, didn't expect him to live.
"All I saw was stuff going south," she said. "His cardiac function was at 24%. They were talking amputation. They didn't know if it'd be hands, arms or how much it would be, but they knew there were going to be amputations. His liver had failed. His kidneys had failed. That's why he was on the dialysis. He was on a machine, too, to pump his blood through his body. ... And the doctors at one point came out to me and said, 'You know, all these things have gone wrong and he's going to need a liver transplant.' And I looked at them and laughed, and I said, 'No one is going to give him a liver with all these other problems.'"
Ultimately, an organ transplant was not necessary.
Andy Lambert, a Springfield Clinic vascular surgeon, was part of the team that cared for Reid.
"He was a multisystem organ failure. ... kidneys were shutting down, lungs were terrible, liver's failing. He's got essentially gangrene of all four extremities. He was really in a situation where he was what I would describe as unsurvivable."
At one point, Reid went into full cardiac arrest, during which he reports having a near-death experience.
"It was a little bit odd. I remember seeing the light and going toward it. The big essence is I had a conversation with my father, who's been gone since 2010. He died of melanoma and I'd always been bothered by his death," Reid said. "(My) heart was stopped, apparently; I didn't have any brain activity. They had me on every monitor possible. I met what you would consider God for a few moments. And (He said), 'You know, you can go back (but) it's going to be tough. ... You're going go back and you're going lose your hands and feet.'"
Reid said after this supernatural encounter, he awoke to someone pulling a tube from his throat.
"The only proof I have that something other than nature was happening was the fact that my right ear and my nose were dead and they were planning on amputations. And that tissue came back to life, which, as a biochemist, I know doesn't happen," he said. "And I wrestled with it for a very long time. How could something happen that isn't possible? Because that tissue coming back to life is impossible."
But it is hardly the first time something remarkable has happened involving Reid.
For example, Eric Mason had lived in multiple foster homes and was experiencing homelessness when he took Reid's chemistry class.
"I didn't think I was smart enough to succeed. But Mr. Reid made it clear that I was," Mason said. "I was sleeping every night in a vacant house that didn't have any electricity or running water. He not only wrote letters of recommendation to help me get into top colleges but he also helped me get scholarships."
Ultimately, Mason earned a degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University and graduated without any debt. He later received a master's degree and now, at age 26, is in a joint medical school and doctorate program at University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.
"Of all of my teachers, I would rank Mr. Reid first," Mason said. "I was at the top of my class for freshman chemistry (in college). It was crazy because I was, like, 'Who am I?' I'm this homeless kid from central Illinois, and I'm getting one of the highest grades at Stanford. It also hit me how good my high school education was. (The college course work) was relatively easy for me because I had such a rigorous high school education."
Aaron Graves, president of the Springfield Education Association, said Reid's return to teaching is significant.
"K.J. is a warrior," Graves said. "He doesn't want to be kept in a bubble. He's ready to do it. He's ready to take that risk and have that life adventure and get back in the saddle. It is exceptionally admirable."
But will students be cruel to someone with such devastating disabilities?
"Kids can be cruel," Graves said. "And they can be difficult. I've found that, at the same time, kids can be very accepting, loving and compassionate if guided to be so ... I think he is safe. The school and the school district have set up policies to make certain that he will be."
An aide assists him in class and special accessible computer equipment is being provided. While he uses a wheelchair now, Reid anticipates eventually walking with bionic legs and having prosthetic hands.
More than $85,000 was raised by community members to enable the Reids to make their home more accessible.
Reid's wife, Kenna, said she has been on an emotional roller coaster as she cared for him and raised their daughter, Marianna, who is now 2.
"There were many different feelings. There was anger about him having another surgery. There were tears (about) not knowing what was going to happen. We didn't know if he was going to come back out of surgery. So, it was very emotional," she said. "We stuck together: his mom and I and sister. We were there for every surgery. We didn't leave his side, and then we stayed with him probably a week after surgeries to make sure that he was taken care of."
Kenna Reid added the key to his recovery can be summed up this way: "It's definitely family support, community support and just the power of prayer. ... And then his willingness to live. I think our daughter played a big role in him healing and getting back to where he's at now."
But Reid said he was also driven by his desire to teach.
As he glanced at the stumps on the end of each arm he smiled and said, "I love teaching and I know chemistry – like it's the back of my hand."
Scott Reeder, a staff writer of Illinois Times, can be reached at: [email protected].
