Pregnant Teacher Collapses at School, Devastating Deaths Follow

Courtney Fannon was just weeks away from welcoming her first child into the world, but tragically, little Hadley Jaye will never be seen.

Fannon, a dedicated special education teacher at Kendall Central School near Rochester, passed away on Friday along with her unborn child, as reported by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

The school was closed for a staff development day when Fannon sent a text to her husband before being found unresponsive in a school building, having collapsed.

Despite being rushed to a hospital, both she and her daughter were pronounced dead that evening. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

"On Friday, March 8th, the world lost 2 beautiful souls, Courtney Fannon and Hadley Jaye Fannon, long before any of us were ready to live in a world without them," wrote family friend Matthew Smith on a GoFundMe page. "They were called to eternal rest the night of March 8th, after a very tragic and unexpected turn of events."

Smith started the GoFundMe page to support Fannon’s husband, Kurtis, who "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."

"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," Smith wrote. "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."

Addressing the child who departed too soon, Smith said, "Hadley, although we never had the opportunity to meet you, see you grow up, and make great things out of yourself, I know that you will live on in all that your family does to ensure that the few breaths that you were able to take were not in vain and will not be forgotten."

Smith expressed his hope that Hadley, with her mom's guidance, would continue to watch over her father and send signals that she is there, just as her mother would.

In closing, Smith extended heartfelt messages to everyone affected by the tragedy. He acknowledged the irreplaceable loss of Courtney, the innocence of Hadley, and urged Kurtis to stay strong and honor Courtney's legacy while keeping Hadley in his heart.

The district, deeply saddened by the loss, closed schools and Superintendent Nicholas Picardo shared a message on the school's website, remembering Courtney as a passionate and joyful teacher who touched the lives of her students every day.