Coppergate Elementary helps one of its own

The generosity of the staff at Coppergate Elementary School in Middleburg has overwhelmed James and Stace (CQ) Shortley, whose 11-year-old daughter, Sloane, has been home bound battling Lupus since diagnosed in Nov. 2008.

“It brings me to tears,” said Stace Shortley adding that the school did three fundraisers during the school year, including a “Sloane Cone” snow cone sale that raised $300 to help with medical bills.

Sloane’s fifth grade teacher Bree Hellwig (CQ) visited her at Wolfson Children’s Hospital.

Through Hellwig, homebound teacher Karen Ongley and Coppergate’s principal David Nix, the school loaned her a lap top computer and set up a chat room for her to talk daily with her classmates and to get her assignments.

The “virtual” classroom service, a new thing for Clay County public schools, has been named the Sloane Project.

Despite chemotherapy, blood plasma exchanges and dialysis three times a week, Sloane remained on the A/B honor roll and earned all As during the last quarter. She is currently on the kidney transplant list awaiting a donor.