John Angell, Cyprus High School

The following was submitted by Britney Webb Balboa.

“This may be a little long… So, I’m not sure if everyone knows but on Fridays at Cyprus the football players are supposed to dress up in a tux with a tie because its “Game Day”. Well my son has only been to 2 proms and I rented both the tux (they are expensive to buy).

Last year when my son was dressing up on Fridays he had some hand me down slacks and shoes from his dad and I bought him a shirt at Ross with a tie. I don’t know how to tie a tie and it’s hard to teach your son how to tie it when you don’t know how. So, my dad would come over early and tied it for him. Which worked for a bit and then he grew (fast) and the clothes no longer fit him, so he started wearing nice jeans and a nice button up shirt with no tie. We thought it was ok cause he looked nice and no one said anything otherwise that it wasn’t ok and that’s how it’s been.

So last week my son was asked by a math teacher “why do you not dress up with the rest of the boys”? Now my son doesn’t ask me for anything and I mean nothing! It hurts me that he worries about me so much and when I say that I mean his anxiety is so bad he still to this day wakes up every night and checks on me and the other kids to make sure were all safe all throughout the night he barley sleeps. So, my point is he don’t tell me when he wants or needs something unless he’s about to get in trouble and really needs it!

So, his reply to the teacher was he simply grew out of it and that his mom raises 4 kids and works 2 jobs to provide them with what she can and that was the end of the conversation. Then the next day my son comes to school and was handed a piece of paper that said “shirt, shoes, pants size” so he thought that the teach was going to go through his own clothing and give him some hand me downs as my son said he dresses very nice. So not thinking anything else about it that’s where it was left.

When he comes back to school on Tuesday this week and he received from this math teacher a brand-new tux in the zip up bag and comes home and shows me! He says “MOM DID YOU SEE THIS” I said no?? what is Jos.A.Banks? He shows me, and I made a joke and said who is that and he said “MINE” I said who did you steal that from, give it back! He said, “NO MOM I’M SERIOUS IT’S MINE”! I said where did you get it and he replied, “Do you remember that teacher received the Purple Heart during the half time game last season Mr. Angell”? Well yes, I do, he said it was HIM! HE BOUGHT THIS FOR ME!

All I could do was CRY! I’m still crying! How do I thank someone who has done this for me and my son! What do I say? All I do is cry every time I think about it! How do I ever repay him for this? To have blessed us with this is so amazing I don’t think he will ever know how thankful I truly am! The smile on my son’s face today is priceless I know he feels like a real man in that tux and Mr. Angell made this possible! I’m forever in debt to this man! I’m so grateful! THANK YOU MR. ANGELL! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!”