Kerry Bremer, a teacher from Massachusetts, has given one student a very thoughtful and generous holiday gift. Bremer took in her former student, Jake Manning, after his single mother passed away from breast cancer.
Jake, who has Down Syndrome, was a student in Bremer’s class four years ago. He and his mom, Jean Manning, had moved from Florida to Massachusetts so she could get treatment at the area’s renowned hospitals after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
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Teacher Kerry Bremer took in her former student, Jake Manning, after his mom died of breast cancer.
Throughout Jean’s treatment, Bremer cared for and looked out for Jake.
“As she got sicker that year, I just thought: ‘What is she going to do?” Bremer told WCVB as she worried about who would care for the teen if Jean passed away.
Bremer and her husband have three children and together they offered to have Jake join their family. Jean was touched by the offer and, after discussing it with Bremer, she told her she would “sleep better tonight than I have in a long time.”
“She’s always in my heart.”
The Bremerss began spending more time with Jake, including weekends and holidays so they could get to know one another better. The family very soon fell in love with Jake and knew he would fit in well with the rest of the family.
A heartwarming story springs from tragedy.
On November 13, Jean passed away at her home.
“She’s always in my heart,” Jake told WCVB.
After her passing, Bremer shared the news on Facebook, writing, “As a result of her passing, we will love, protect and treasure Jake just as we promised. He will live with us forever and we will keep her memory, her love, her determination, and her beautiful smile alive in his heart and ours every day! Fly high and watch over us every day.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for Jake as he enters this new phase of his life.
While it’s quite an adjustment for everyone, the Bremer family is excited to have Jake be a special part of their family moving forward.
“I continue to be in awe of the kindness and overwhelming generosity of so many people, most of whom I don’t know,” she told the outlet. “We shared our boy and she will live on here in this house.”
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