Students help Walnut Creek teacher with 4 adopted kids

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- A popular Walnut Creek teacher is getting a boost from some former students following a family tragedy. ABC7 News spoke with that teacher and the students who have decided to help.

In Walnut Creek, lots of people know Jeff Loving simply as Mr. Loving. He's a PE teacher at Walnut Creek Intermediate School. Just after their trip back home last year from picking up their two youngest children from an Ethiopian orphanage, his wife Brenda was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

"She made about 10 months, and lost..." said Loving.

Brenda passed away just 10 days ago ending their dream of raising their children together. This week two former students decided to lend a hand.

"When I heard the news, I thought, there's got to be a way for us to help," said former student Aly Walsh.

When they found out their former teacher was going to be raising four beautiful children all by himself, they decided to help out and launched a website. In just a couple days, the response was amazing -- in just a couple of days, they've raised $12,000.

Walsh and Leida Ibrahimi own a local salon. Along with their GoFundMe.com page, they've also posted fliers around town for a full day fundraising event next month. They say Loving has always been someone they and other students have looked up to.

"I think he's going to be fine. I do think he needs a little help right now though, it's a tough time," said Ibrahimi.

"They were wonderful kids then and they're wonderful adults now. They just wanted to find a way to help me. So that's... I mean, it makes you feel great. It's incredibly, incredibly humbling," said Loving.

He says he's overwhelmed by the support from these two former students and the rest of the community.

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walnut creek, children, fundraiser, cancer, east bay news

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