This year, two weeks before spring break, Ms. Teresa Puffer had to take an unexpected leave of absence for a medical emergency. She has an aggressive form of melanoma and requires an expensive daily radiation treatment, and senior Elena Cameron looks to lessen her worries by raising money to cover her medical bills for the entirety of next year.

Puffer has been an art teacher at BSM for over 15 years and plays a large role in the schools arts education community. “Ms. Puffer challenges her students to improve their artistic ability and she won’t let anyone take the easy way out. Because of this, she gets the best out of her students,” senior Elena Cameron said.

The goal of the website that Cameron created is to raise enough money to fund Puffer’s treatment for 18 months. This fund will allow Puffer to spend more time with her family and alleviate any worries she might have had about funding her medical needs. “I started this campaign because Puffer made a big impact on my experience at BSM. She is a mentor and the best teacher I have ever had. She deserves all the support we could give her,” Cameron said.

Over 100 people have donated and the number continues to grow. The website managed to raise over $10,000 in just two days, but they still need more.The donors range from students to teachers to members of the community who know how important Puffer is to the school.

All of the Benilde-St.Margaret’s community thanks Elena and will keep Puffer in our prayers.