The family of Newton Elementary School teacher Gina Gordon is asking for help after she was hospitalized a couple of weeks ago.
Gordon came back home to Newton County over the weekend after she was treated in a New Orleans hospital for a heart attack. Tina McDearman, Gordon’s sister, said Gordon was visiting the New Orleans aquarium for a late-summer trip with her family.
While visiting the aquarium on July 28, she because ill and collapsed. She has since had dizzy spells and had another heart attack.
“The doctors said she was in life-threatening situation,” McDearman said. “Somebody was looking out for her because if she had not been in a hospital with the paddles right by her, she wouldn’t have made it.”
The doctors diagnosed Gordon with a heart attack with transient ischemic attack. She had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted on Aug. 2 to help regulate her heartbeat.
That has caused her to miss the start of the school year for the first time in her 19 years with the Newton Municipal School District.
“She was worried about missing school,” McDearman said. “She kept saying that she needed to get to school. She was concerned about the students in her classroom.
“But she will not be able to drive for six months. So we don’t know exactly what we’re going to do at this point.”
While Gordon is beginning the path to recovery, it has left her family with large medical bills that the family doesn’t know how they’ll be able to pay. McDearman created a GoFundMe.com campaign, and they have also set up a donation account at BankFirst.
As of Monday, the campaign has raised over $4,000 of the $25,000 goal not counting what has been contributed at the bank.
Gordon has been with Newton Elementary for 19 years serving as teacher and presently serves as the gifted education instructor for the entire district. She has received numerous awards over the year and was recognized as the Golden Apple Teacher of the Year.
Newton Elementary Principal Kay Killens said Gordon has had the “monumental task” of instruction, planning and hosting competitions, scheduling trips and completing all the required documentation.
However, that has never stopped her from helping her co-workers and being an encourager.
“Although she has many responsibilities, she is always the first to volunteer when we have extra events on our campus,” Killens said. “Her thoughtfulness in sharing reminders of staff birthdays, achievements and leaving uplifting notes for others are some of the reasons we consider ourselves lucky to claim her as our own.”
McDearman said she appreciates all the support the community has given Gordon.
“We are so amazed and so thankful with all of the donations she has received,” McDearman said. “Thank you so much. She still has a long, hard road in front of her.”
For more information or to donate, log on to https://www.gofundme.com/gina-gordon-medical-emergency. Donations are also being accepted at BankFirst.
Please ask about the benefit account for Gina Gordon or Tina McDearman.
