Help Nicole Breathe Easier: Support Her Fight

Hi everyone,

We’re reaching out with full hearts on behalf of our dear friend and colleague, Nicole, who is currently facing the unimaginable with strength, grace, and just the right amount of sarcasm.

Nicole has been a beacon of light in the lives of so many — as a devoted special education teacher at Crosby High School in Waterbury, CT, where she's been teaching since 2012, and as a single mother to two amazing kids. One is a sophomore in college, the other just stepped into adult life after graduating in the spring of 2024. She is endlessly proud of both of them.

But right now, Nicole needs our help.

Nicole has been courageously battling a rare and aggressive form of muscular dystrophy that has rapidly impacted her mobility and her ability to breathe. Over the past four years, she has gone from walking independently to relying entirely on a power wheelchair — which, true to form, she uses to hilariously threaten to “run over” distracted students in the halls. But what started as loss of mobility has now turned into something much more serious.

In the past year, Nicole’s lung function has declined at an alarming rate. She now requires a ventilator at night just to breathe, and her doctors have started to prepare her for the very real possibility that she will soon need to be on a ventilator 24/7.

Despite the immense challenges she faces daily, Nicole has never stopped teaching, supporting her students or her friends, or being there for her children. She has always believed — and taught others — that disability is not a roadblock, just a bump in the road.

But this bump has become a mountain.

Insurance is failing her — refusing to cover the cost of her necessary breathing equipment until she meets a high annual deductible. For a single mother on a public school teacher’s salary, with mounting medical bills and college expenses to juggle, the financial strain is overwhelming.

And if you know Nicole, you know this: She never asks for help. She is the one who gives it — to her students, to her children, to her colleagues, and even to the shelter animals she brings home (like her Maine Coon cat, her literal twin in feline form, and her dog, who is her whole world).

So now, we’re asking on her behalf.

We, Nicole’s “work sisters,” are launching this GoFundMe to help cover:

- The cost of her ventilator and other life-sustaining medical equipment

- Out-of-pocket medical expenses

- Ongoing care and accessibility needs

- Support for her children as they navigate college and early adulthood

We want Nicole to be able to breathe easier — both literally and financially. She deserves that. She has given so much to her students, her family, and her community. Now, it's our turn to give back.

Any donation, no matter the size, will make a difference. If you can’t donate, please share this campaign with others who may be able to help.

Let’s surround Nicole with the love, support, and resources she needs — and remind her that while she may hate asking for help, she’s not in this alone.

Thank you for standing with our friend.

With love and gratitude,

Nicole’s Work Sisters (Kate and Kristi)