The sudden death of a special needs teacher and her unborn child has left a rural New York town in mourning.
Courtney Fannon, 29, who was pregnant with her daughter Hadley Jaye, died on Friday, according to a family friend.
Fannon had finished writing a message to her husband, Kurtis, before she was suddenly found unresponsive at Kendall Elementary School in the town of Kendall, New York, about 30 miles west of Rochester.
Courtney was spending it just as she typically would, finishing up her day as a special education teacher in Kendall, according to a GoFundMe post by family friend Matt Smith.
After being rushed to the hospital, Fannon and her unborn daughter underwent life-saving measures.
“As the news spread, our small, tight-knit community was once again called upon to come together and help in all ways possible, however this one felt different,” the GoFundMe post read.
“As we all gathered, to pay respects and to provide support, there was an eerie silence that was constant throughout the room, which rarely, if ever, occurs within our group.”
Fannon and her husband got married on August 20, 2022 after 10 years together.
In April’s early part, the 29-year-old teacher was going to give birth to her daughter, Hadley Jaye.
“In the wake of this devastating news, Kurtis was left to not only manage final arrangements for Courtney and Hadley, but he is living mine, and many others, worst nightmare of having to return to a home, filled with baby toys, bottles, furniture and a finished nursery, that will no longer be filled with the cooing sounds and shuffling of a newborn,” Smith wrote.
The family friend described Fannon as a “loving and genuine” person.
“For those who did not have the wonderful opportunity to meet or get to know Courtney, there is an endless amount of positive and good things that can only be said about her,” the GoFundMe post read.
“She was a special education teacher in the Kendall School District and was the perfect person to fill the role.
“She was loving, genuine and organized in a way that always placed her students ahead of herself, ultimately changing the lives of her students and caregivers, always for the positive.”
Nick Picardo, who is the Superintendent of Kendall School District, remembered Fannon as having a talent for teaching.
“Courtney was a special needs teacher who served her students with passion and joy each day,” Picardo said in a message to the community.
“When she wasn’t in her classroom sharing her love and gift for teaching with her students, she could be found walking our halls with a smile and a friendly hello.”
