June 26, 2018 An elementary school teacher in Georgia made one final request before she died earlier this month of […]
June 26, 2018
An elementary school teacher in Georgia made one final request before she died earlier this month of cancer: Instead of flowers, she wanted school supplies for needy students.
Tammy Waddell died at age 58 and was a teacher in Forsyth County, Ga., according to the BBC. Her cousin, Brad Johnson, described her as a “teacher to the end” in a now-viral Twitter post.
“A Teachers final lesson is eternal,” Johnson said on Twitter. “My thought for the day… “Great Teachers Leave a Legacy.”
Honorary pallbearers… Teachers who had taught with her through the years… pic.twitter.com/CyB2pBbBNy
— Dr. Brad Johnson (@DrBradJohnson) June 19, 2018
At her funeral, many honored her final request to bring backpacks full of school supplies for students in need instead of sending flowers, according to a Twitter post from her cousin.
The backpacks were distributed by around 100 teachers Tammy had taught with and the supplies given to students in need across her home of Forsyth County, but the trend has inspired others further afield.
“People are sending backpacks to the school district from all over the world,” said Brad. “I guess you could say the final lesson she taught touched the whole world.”