Life
Teacher takes in former student after his mother passes away
Being a special education teacher, it requires a lot of patience and understanding. But for one of her former students, she gave more than that.
Eduardo Gaskell
12.23.21

Kerry Bremer is a special education teacher. Her job requires her to exercise a lot of patience and understanding. Itโ€™s a lot of professionalism to be sure but for one student, she made an exception.

A few years ago, Bremer met a boy with Down syndrome named Jake Manning. She described the boy as โ€œdynamicโ€.

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Jakeโ€™s mom, Jean Manning, had terminal breast cancer which had metastasized in her brain. She was a single mom and the concern was who would take care of Jake.

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Kerry knew this so she spoke to Jean.

โ€œI called her and I said, โ€˜I could really be overstepping the boundaries here, but I just want to let you know that if you need a backup plan for Jake, my family and I are willing to offer guardianship,โ€™โ€ Kerry said.

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It was a difficult but necessary topic and yet Jean, in tears, replied. โ€œAnd she said, โ€˜I am going to sleep better tonight than I have in a long time.โ€™โ€ Kerry said. โ€œHer biggest fear was what would happen to Jake after she passed.โ€

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The Mannings had just moved to Massachusetts from Florida. Kerry had only known them a short time being Jakeโ€™s special education teacher at the CASE Collaborative School.

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Kerry and her husband Dave, along with the kids, agreed to the arrangement.

Kerry knew it was the right thing to do. โ€œI fell in love with Jake instantly,โ€ she revealed. โ€œI knew he would a need a home and there was no way I wouldnโ€™t open ours to him.โ€

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Jean passed away on November 13. After taking her son to the bus, she took a nap after a chemotherapy treatment and never woke up.

Kerry fulfilled Jeanโ€™s dying wish.

โ€œIโ€™m terribly sad that Jake โ€ฆ doesnโ€™t have his mom to be with him for the rest of his life,โ€ Kerry told CNN. โ€œBut Iโ€™m very, very grateful that she trusted us to take him and be with him and share our home with him.โ€

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When Jean was still alive, she helped Dave and Kerry with Jakeโ€™s transition.

โ€œWe would take Jake to appointments together and celebrate holidays together. Jean called him โ€˜our son,โ€™โ€ Kerry said. โ€œThat must have been so hard for her, to be planning for her death, but she did a beautiful job. She was so courageous.โ€

Jake handled his momโ€™s death well.

โ€œHe says sheโ€™s in heaven with God and with his aunts. He knows that he wonโ€™t see her again. He knows that his new home is with us,โ€ Kerry said. โ€œHe calls her his Queen Angel Mom.โ€

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Kerry and Dave were named as Jakeโ€™s legal guardians and Kerry says sheโ€™s willing to adopt Jake should that prove to be the best arrangement.

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Itโ€™s a touching story thatโ€™s made the rounds online. But the real hero is Jean. Despite her suffering, and she knew time was ticking, she did all she could for her son. Thatโ€™s a motherโ€™s love.

Watch the video below for more on Kerry and Jake.

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