Loving, cancer-stricken teacher surprised with beautiful Christmas gift from sixth-grade angels

'I feel like God has a plan. God has created a purpose for all of this.'

Kristy Blackwell, a sixth-grade teacher at Kentucky school Baker Intermediate, was diagnosed with stage three brain cancer this summer. What her students and fellow teachers did in response took her breath away.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to the Winchester Sun, Blackwell spent her spring months nauseous and extremely fatigued.

She thought little of it and proceeded to enjoy her summer vacation away from school until one night in June, while speaking to her husband Ben, everything changed.

"It was Sunday evening and we were getting ready to go to dinner," she shared. "We have been building up this pirate show for the boys all day and we were looking it up online.

"I remember I said, 'I don't think we should go,' and my husband asked how much it was. I don't remember anything after that."

What Blackwell doesn't remember is she began to stutter and had a seizure.

That night, she suffered a total of six seizures and woke in the ICU the following morning. Doctors admitted they discovered an abnormality on her brain after taking CAT scans and MRIs.

Doctors were unsure if the scans were revealing a mass or fluid but recommended she visit a neurosurgeon as soon as possible.

Blackwell hoped the seizure and scan results were just a result of long days in the hot sun during vacation and tried to stay calm. She knew she hadn't been well before summer began, but hoped it was nothing.

"I was exhausted all spring," Blackwell shared. "There wasn't enough coffee in the pot to keep me awake. I knew something was wrong because my husband and I celebrated out anniversary on May 28 and from about two days prior to that until I had my first seizure on June 5, I was nauseous the entire time... I kind of dismissed it and didn't think it was much of a big deal," she shared.

Knowing she could no longer afford to let things go, she saw a neurosurgeon at the University of Kentucky, who diagnosed her with Stage 3 Oligodendroglioma - brain cancer - and a the abnormality was positively identified as a tumor.

Surgeons successfully removed the tumor and Blackwell explained: "Dr. Pittman still thought it was a low-grade tumor and thought they got it all and told me to come back in two weeks for a follow-up. So we didn't stress."

When she returned to the hospital for her checkup and to get the staples removed but was surprised to learn she also had an appointment with Dr. John Villano.

Confused, she admitted: "I knew from that moment that something wasn't right, so I asked the receptionist if Dr. Villano was an oncologist and she said 'yes.' I asked again if she was sure that he is an oncologist, and she said 'yes.'

"I just lost it in the lobby. That was my first realization it was cancer."

Knowing how serious cancer is - and worse, knowing it was in her brain, Blackwell struggled to understand Dr. Villano while fighting back pure terror.

"I don't remember a lot of the conversation because I was so scared," she admitted.

She was diagnosed with stage 3 oligodendroglioma, which is a slow-growing tumor in the supportive tissues of the brain. They are usually present for years before a patient begins to show symptoms.

Thankfully, her particular condition was treatable with radiation.

In July and August, she began 29 days of radiation treatments and lost her full head of hair - but she refused to give in to self-pity.

Blackwell worked hard to continue life as normal, even going to her school to prepare the classroom for incoming students.

"The doctors told me to live my life and that's normally what I do at the end of the summer - get ready for the first day of school," she shared. "I told myself I was going to do it until the doctors told me I shouldn't.

"I didn't do anything extraordinary. I didn't do anything I don't think any other teacher would do."

Though Blackwell continued with her regular duties, her nurse explained once chemotherapy began, Blackwell would need at least nine months of time off for treatment, which includes energy-draining intravenous chemotherapy and pills.

Blackwell admitted: "Sometimes it's hard because I get that look from other teachers or students that they're sad. I've put on my brave face for the lst month, but I feel like God has a plan. God created a purpose for all of this."

When students and teachers learned of Blackwell's condition, they came together to offer her rides and baby sitting. When school started, nearly 10 staff members met to discuss how they could further help, which led them to creating a GoFundMe account, offer cotton candy sales at a school dance and to sell bracelets reading, "Be Well Mrs. Blackwell."

The GoFundMe account has surpassed its goal of $8,000, which the page explains will pay for her "travel to and from treatments, provide for childcare when needed, buy for her dietary needs and focus less on financial burdens and more on health and healing."

Blackwell was also surprised with a potluck held in her honor, where fellow staff presented her with cards, recorded messages for a "Be Well Mrs. Blackwell" video, a bouquet and student-made cards. Her second-period class even made a quilt for her.

One student shared the quilt was for Blackwell to wear during treatments, which often leave patients feeling extremely cold.

Fellow teacher Heather Crowl shared: "We just wanted to remind her that she's loved and that even when she's not here, we're here for her."

In a final display of good-will, several students appeared at Blackwell's home. They stood in her driveway to sing several Christmas carols to Blackwell and her family.

Chorus instructor Stephanie Puckett told LEX 8, "We're very blessed to be able to bring that to her."

Stephanie O'Rourke, another teacher at the elementary school, said: "Those are her children, she loves them from day one. She is engaging and develops a love of learning with her kids."

Jessica Pedico, a fellow teacher, added: "It doesn't take long to love Kristy and her students are all so concerned. We wanted to let her know we love her, because we know she would do the same for us."

Pedico continued: "After a certain amount was raised, she was just overwhelmed with emotions and very grateful and thankful for what she had and she said that instead of raising more money for her and her family, she really wants to just get the word out about this brain cancer and that there's really no cure and that advances in research need to be done.

"I think more than anything, she wants to get the word out that this could happen to anyone, that cancer doesn't discriminate and to me, the irony of a teacher having brain cancer, that is her livelihood, but it doesn't seem to phase her. She's still on top of things."

Following the several displays of love from her students and fellow staff, Blackwell shared, "This experience has been overwhelming, but I hope the lesson I can teach my students as well as my coworkers is that life is what you make it and happiness is a choice."

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