Beloved science teacher from Cape Coral High School, Lori Shaw, was recently and unfortunately diagnosed with colon rectal cancer.
She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and treatment involving radiation and cancer pills. In order to relieve her financial stress, seniors Adrianna Jenkins and Ocean Strauss worked together to organize a GoFundMe to raise money for Shaw.
Strauss and Jenkins did this without Shaw’s knowledge, she still doesn’t know much about it. However, in the end she will be surprised with a few thousand dollars.
The GoFundMe has been circulating through Instagram, with Shaw’s students constantly reposting it to gain awareness and boost the number of donations.
The goal for this endeavor is $4,000 and is currently totaled at $3,090. This number increases more every day, with concerned teachers, parents, and students alike giving their money to support Shaw.
Lori Shaw is adored not only by her science students but also by the entire school for the brownies she makes available to all students for a donation of $2.
These donations go towards the environmental club, which Shaw is the advisor of. The environmental club works in Cape High’s garden, called Belvedere Farms. With the help of Shaw, the environmental club has created an entire ecosystem.
Shaw has proven to be extremely grateful for the student’s efforts and overwhelmed with emotion at the initiative taken by Strauss and Jenkins.
“I’d like to thank them[Strauss and Jenkins], and I’d like to thank everyone, even if they could not give money, just for the good thoughts and prayers they’re sending.”
Sophomore Brettney Gallas was deeply affected by Shaw and her situation. She donated $10.50 but plans to donate more to the cause.
Shaw is her AP environmental science teacher, and seeing the GoFundMe on Instagram inspired Gallas to help the woman who’s always held the honorable place as her favorite teacher.
“I donated because she is such a genuinely good person, and she deserves all that we can give her, she is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had,” said Gallas.
Another student affected by Shaw was senior Piper Corbin, who donated a total of $50. She speaks about Shaw with adoration, having only kind words to say about the woman she considers a mentor and oftentimes even a friend.
“I knew immediately as I saw the GoFundMe that all the IB[International Baccalaureate] kids were coming together, so I wanted to contribute,” said Corbin. “She[Shaw] is just such an amazing person. I’d do anything to help that woman.”
This togetherness was sparked by Sgtrauss and Jenkins, and it serves to unite the entire school and community, coming together to give back to a teacher that constantly gives her everything to her students.
As she does everything else, Shaw is taking her illness in stride. She has plans to become a consultant for gardening for the district of Lee County, and this obstacle has not affected her plans or dimmed her positive outlook on life.
Shaw uses her experience to relate to her students, and they share stories of cancer with one another. Shaw is extremely interested in learning more about her condition and different perspectives on it so this student involvement is extremely important to her.
“I teach environmental science so it’s about food toxicity, genetically modified foods, how we come in contact with plastics, fatty tissues, and that kind of thing. So it’s been really kind of a fun learning adventure with them[students],” said Shaw.
Cape High is fully supporting Shaw while she undergoes her treatment. They have been giving her all of the sick time she needs and doing everything they can to ease her stress, including letting her leave whenever she begins to get sick or is required to go to treatment.
Shaw is planning to use the money to “make Cape Coral green again”. She intends to plant trees, in the name of everyone who donated, and the ones who might not have had the financial means to. She is grateful to everyone supporting her through her journey in order to beautify Cape Coral, and further it into the beautiful city she loves.
