Jean Manning, a single mom of a son with Down syndrome, had a special bond with one of his teachers Kerry Bremer. She had Jake as a student for four years.
Then Jean received the heart breaking news that she was terminally ill. Her concern was not for herself, but her boy. What would happen to Jake when she was no longer here? The state of Massachusetts said without a legal guardian he would become a ward of the state. He would live the rest of his life in a home for people with special needs. But Jean wanted more for her boy. "He needs love" she told Kerry. "He needs a family."
Jean asked Kerry, if there was any possibility of Jake living with the Bremer's after she passed. Kerry has 3 kids of her own and as a special needs teacher is often overwhelmed herself but Jake loved her and his mom desperately wanted this for her son. Kerry says it was a quick conversation with her husband before agreeing. “We never thought about it twice.”
The time Jean had left she used to help Jake and Kerry bond even more. They began taking him to appointments together and celebrating holidays together so the transition would be easier for him.
Last week, Jean passed away and 14-year-old Jake was officially adopted the next day and is now an official part of the Bremer family, fulfilling his mothers dying wish.