A classroom is typically thought of as a fun, structured, and promising area within the school. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in a classroom at Kendall Elementary School in New York.
Pregnant New York special education teacher found dead in classroom: 'Gift for teaching' https://t.co/V2gieg53mC
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 15, 2024
Courtney Fannon, 29-year-old special education teacher, was found unresponsive in her classroom on March 8th. Thankfully, there were no students in the classroom.
The story takes an even more unfortunate turn as she was 36 weeks pregnant (just four weeks away from due date), which was made public after a GoFundMe page was established.
Fox News provides more on the GoFundMe:
“For those who did not have the wonderful opportunity to meet or get to know Courtney, there is an endless amount of positive and good things that can only be said about her,” the GoFundMe stated. “She was loving, genuine and organized in a way that always placed her students ahead of herself, ultimately changing the lives of her students and caregivers, always for the positive.”
“As we mourn, we also ask that you hold your loved ones just a little tighter over the next few days, you never know if you will have a tomorrow with them,” the post read.
The GoFundMe has raised more than $70,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
Fannon was considered an invaluable member of the staff at Kendall Elementary, which she started in 2018.
Fox 59 adds more on the comments from the superintendent:
Courtney was a special education teacher who served her students with passion and joy each day,” schools Superintendent Nicholas Picardo said in a message, USA Today reported.
“When she wasn’t in her classroom sharing her love and gift for teaching with her students, she could be found walking our halls with a smile and a friendly hello,” he added.
Courtney married Kurtis Fannon in August of 2022, after spending the previous ten years together. Kurtis, obviously distraught over the news, allowed his friend Matt Smith to write a tribute on the GoFundMe page.
New York Post adds more on Smith’s heart wrenching post:
In his lengthy post on GoFundMe, Smith wrote that Kurtis is living the “worst nightmare of having to return to a home, filled with baby toys, bottles, furniture and a finished nursery, that will no longer be filled with the cooing sounds and shuffling of a newborn.”
“For those who did not have the wonderful opportunity to meet or get to know Courtney, there is an endless amount of positive and good things that can only be said about her,” Smith continued.
“Hadley, although we never had the opportunity to meet you, see you grow up, and make great things out of yourself, I know that you will live on in all that your family does to ensure that the few breaths that you were able to take were not in vain and will not be forgotten,” he wrote.
“One so little, should not have the responsibility to look over their father, but with your mom’s guidance, I know that you will be prepared to send messages and signals that you are there watching, just as your mom would be prepared for everything,” Smith wrote.
This devastating news has left a hole in the community at Kendall Elementary School.
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