Coworkers Donate Sick Days To Save Cancer Patient

In her 17 years as a teacher in L.A. County,  Carol Davis had saved up 120 sick days, but after her breast cancer diagnosis, she used them all with her many surgeries, chemo treatments and doctors appointments...Until her fellow teachers stepped up to help out.

Because of L.A. school district's "Catastrophic Illness Donation Program," other teachers are able to donate their own sick days; something Carol's husband(and fellow teacher), Dave, knew full-well.  While he was reluctant to ask others to give up their paid-time, he decided to leave blank pledge forms in their school's teacher's lounge.

The reaction was more far more than either of them imagined.  Over the course of a few weeks, word had spread as quickly as the pledge forms, across the entire district; resulting in 154 days of paid leave!  Not only did the donations allow Carol to continue to get paid during her treatment, it also allowed her to keep her medical benefits, which would have forfeited had it not been for Carol's coworker's generosity!

Carol's health still isn't 100%, but she's back to work.  Plus, thanks to the donated sick days, she has enough banked to use during her road to complete recovery.

To read more on this story, including reactions from Carol's sixth grade student, click here(La Times)