Good news abut Miss Nancy Chapel

At about 3:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Miss Nancy Chapel, Lake Highlands Elementary’s Crossing Guard Extraordinaire, was doing what she does every school day: Safely escorting kids across the street toward home.

There were boys lobbing a football on the playground, moms planning class events, carpoolers picking up. And a distracted driver. He hit Miss Nancy and hit her hard. The good news: She’s hanging tough, came through a surgery well, her broken bones should heal, no children were hurt.

And there’s more good news too: This 71-year old retired teacher who’s walked thousands of kids to safety for over eight years has evoked the heartfelt love of an entire community by simply being sweet, smiling, protective Miss Nancy.

There’s no better way to highlight how high in esteem a person is held and how important her place in a community is then to relate the actions of others on her behalf, and how they step in to help as an extended family when she meets tragedy.

• Sue ran across the entire playground to get to Miss Nancy.
• Donna was on the spot immediately handling emergency care.
• Bernadette went running through the halls of school looking for a board.
• Jana held Miss Nancy’s hand and calmed her.
• D’Lynn gathered scared children off the scene.
• Numerous calls went out to 911 from the office staff and parents.
• David took over directing traffic and set up cones.
• Angel and Doug searched Ferndale with their flashlights later that night for the diamond that was knocked out of Miss Nancy’s ring -- and found it.
• Kim stayed at the hospital late into the evening.
• Neighbors with no children at LHE stopped to ask what they could do, who they could give a donation to.
• TJ, Daniel and Emily decorated a basket to hold all the cards and letters pouring in.
• The office staff continues to answer calls of concern from folks.
• The kids ‘cupped’ the playground fence with a message of love and have spent the last two days making cards and signing posters for Miss Nancy’s hospital room.
• Tim ran interference and sheltered the kids from enthusiastic television media.
• Donna is coordinating donations through Anna’s Kids.

It was initially a bad day all around -- a terrible accident that, as terrible accidents are apt to do, changed the lives of all involved. But the day had a whole lot of good too. And it is all that good that will sustain Miss Nancy, her family, the students, teachers and parents of LHE, and the Lake Highlands community as a whole.

Comments

[Roger]

JJ-thanks for this post about Miss Nancy. We've all been concerned about her in the 'hood! The LHE staff and community is one in a million.

Remember a few weeks (maybe a month) or so ago, there was a blog about having the kids assume the responsibility of being crossing guards. This is EXACTLY why they shouldn't be. While this incident (not accident) was a tragedy to Miss Nancy, imagine what it would have done to a child. The good thing about the Safety Patrol program is that the kids do learn to assume responsibility in a safer and monitored environment.

Let this be a lesson learned to everyone: Please be careful when driving. Not only in school zones, but everywhere.

thanks again for a great post (and for the cinnamon rolls last weekend for our campout!)

[rarepair]

Yep, I surely do agree with you about the kids assuming the responsibility of working what they themselves refer to as 'Death Street' (or any other high traffic surface street). When we were growing up, there weren't any behemoth SUV's, there weren't cell phone distractions, there weren't as many cars on the road. And nope, I refuse to imagine.

But I am going to be more focused when I'm driving, as I would challenge everyone to do. Think about it: When sitting atop a 1,000 pound horse, you're pretty darned focused. Why not be as judicious when sitting behind the wheel of a four thousand pound car?

[Joan Walkling]

My gosh I read through the entire article about Miss Nancy's accident and the people that came to her aid and thinking what a great writeup it was and come to find out that my daughter wrote it!!! Thanks, Jan!

L. Mom

[Kim Blackledge]

I was out the Nancy got enjured. I was very sorry for her the next day when I found out. I will keep her in my prayers.Get well soon Ms. Nancy. Mat God bless you! Kim