Support Quay's Recovery and Return to Teaching

Hi! I'm Marie LeBrasseur, and I'm hoping to raise funds for Ojibway Quay Whitebird.

Quay, an Indigenous educator, had surgery on January 22nd for an injury that happened at work one year prior. I'll include her words about the medical details in the first update, but the injury was so severe that after a year of trying to carry on her doctors said surgery was the only option. After the surgery, she had to take time off to recover, and all of this has cost her physically, financially and emotionally.

She returned to school on April 24th -- YAY! -- but now she's faced with all the stress and pressure of that financial pile on TOP of being back to work full-time, still doing physical therapy, and being the single mother an amazing 15-year-old son, Mino. This has been hard for him, too. Any and all donations will be given to Quay to help with her previous and future medical costs and to help her close the financial gaps during her recovery from surgery.

If anyone deserves the help, Quay does. She's an amazing person AND an incredibly valuable educator. I'm in a position to know -- both of my late parents were teachers. She was one of my father's last students, and my mother (a retired teacher) was the one who discovered Quay had made it to high school with undiagnosed dyscalculia. They instantly recognized her extraordinary intelligence, character, potential, and strength. Me? I got to see how she treated people of every age and background.

She's back in the classroom now, but any support would help so much. The "backpack" she's carrying around is just too full, and we can take some things out of it. We can take a few co-pays out so she can go to appointments without that worry until she's back to 100%. We can take the back rent and utilities out of it so she can get the sleep she needs to heal. We can get her just a tiny bit of help with cleaning so she can heal up TO that 100%.

We can keep a uniquely valuable educator. As an Indigenous female educator who has overcome staggering obstacles, she shows many young people that success and achievement are within their reach. Quay brings an IRREPLACEABLE perspective.

Quay is a force of nature in support of others -- she just needs a bit of that herself now. Can we do it?