Teacher goes above and beyond to make Field Day special for student post-surgery

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- They teach and guide our children in the classroom every day. But one teacher at HISD's Horn Elementary went above and beyond to make sure one of her students crossed the finish line at Field Day.

The third grader had surgery just days before Field Day. Instead of having him sit out, his teacher put him on her back and they did field day together!

Lance was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a condition that affects facial development. Last Monday was his 32nd surgery. His doctors said no physical activity for four weeks. Not good news for a third grader just days before Field Day.

"On some of the events, he was my coach. He helped me pass out materials, helped me cheer on his classmates," says his teacher Tiffany Thorn.

But on a whim, she asked if he was OK getting on her back.

"It was the balloon pop, I put him on my back and we ran down, popped the balloon. Had a little bit of trouble, but we popped it and then ran back and celebrated."

We asked what he remembers about the ride: "Raising my hands," Lance said.

"He was smiling and giggling and he had his hands in the air crossing the finish line," his grandmother Kathy Dromgoole tells us. "He had a great time."

Dromgoole also teaches at Horn. She says all she could do was smile while she watched.

"When Ms. Thorn did this, it was so uplifting. She's special," she says. "She went so above the call of duty."

"The smile on his face and the fact that all the parents were cheering us on as we ran down, his classmates were cheering for him and they were so excited for him to be able to participate," Thorn adds. "At the end of the day that's what matters."

Ms. Thorn says what she did is nothing special. She tells Eyewitness News trying to make a kid smile is an everyday thing for her. But she's glad someone else thought what she did was special.