Spring Lake Elementary walks to support one of its own

OCOEE — Taking silver linings from dark clouds is often hard, but for the community of Spring Lake Elementary School, a grave situation has made a school family grow ever closer.

The faculty, staff, students and parents of Spring Lake Elementary have been rallying around Carolyn Inzirillo, a second-grade teacher who learned during Labor Day weekend last year that she had leukemia.

“She’s very dedicated to teaching and a very talented teacher,” Principal Nancy Pender said. “She was all excited about the new (education) standards but couldn’t believe how tired she was. That’s when she thought she had strep throat and discovered leukemia.”

With sinus infections and various viruses making their way around the school, staff were discussing how they thought it was just a common, run-of-the-mill illness. Pender said Inzirillo had been elated to return after finishing summer school.

But on Aug. 29, after just one week of teaching this school year, she went for tests and received that diagnosis, which surprised everyone, Dean Joseph Cormier said.

“The teachers and staff here in our school are one big, united family, and when it affects one of us, it affects all of us,” Cormier said. “We’ve done little things (for Inzirillo) throughout the school year, like selling ribbons. We formed a committee here with our Spring Lake team, and we came up with the idea to do a walk-a-thon.”

Fundraising for Inzirillo has been a challenge her colleagues and students’ families have embraced, because the costs of medical treatments for cancer can be beyond any kind of means, Cormier said. Cormier described the walk-a-thon as a lot of work but rewarding work to do for a person who is in need.

And not just the family of Spring Lake Elementary tried to provide assistance to Inzirillo, but the greater Ocoee community, businesses and special support from Ocoee High School, Cormier said.

THE WALK

The walk-a-thon occurred May 2, on the track of Ocoee High School, which had members of its community also providing hands-on support.

“They let us use their track; the athletic director helped a lot; and the new football coach had players come out to help our program,” Cormier said. “We asked them to do things; they did it and didn’t quit. They were what I call true student-athletes and just positive community members.”

Pender said it was a great opportunity for high-school and elementary-school students to relate to one another, whether by walking or running along the track together or just having fun in ways such as silly dancing.

“It was very much a community event and supportive,” Pender said. “Mrs. Inzirillo did come. A lot of times, she’s been in a wheelchair. In the beginning, she was walking around, but she ultimately went on the track with her mother pushing (the wheelchair). It was amazing — it touched so many lives and people committing to it, putting miles and money in.”

About 100 people attended the walk-a-thon, which raised more than $2,000, Cormier said. He wished to thank all of the businesses, students, community members and all who were willing to help this cause.

“It was successful,” he said. “I hope it lifted her spirits. I think it did. It’s just one of those things where I think when people find out about these horrible diseases, their life gets turned upside down. She got to see her Spring Lake family, and I think that especially really lifted her spirits.”

Within the last month, Inzirillo has undergone bone-marrow testing and other procedures on her road to recovery, with a bone-marrow transplant needed.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].