Oldest working teacher, 102, suffers stroke, asks for help

PLAINFIELD, N.J. — The country's oldest working teacher is taking a break from the classroom after suffering a stroke. Now, her family is asking for the public's help to get her back on her feet.

Agnes "Granny" Zhelesnik has been teaching at the Sundance School in New Jersey since she was in her 80's, according to education website The 74. She spent most of her life as a stay-at-home mom, but when her husband passed away, she took a job as a home economics teacher, teaching 5-year-old students basic skills like baking and sewing.

According to Inside Edition, Zhelesnik recently collapsed at school. She suffered a stroke, and doctors told her she needed physical therapy to help her regain control over the left side of her body.

The family told Inside Edition that she was originally placed in a "depressing" rehab facility, where patients were put in isolated rooms with nothing to do but stare at the walls.

"My mother and I came home crying. We just couldn't leave her there," granddaughter Nikki Ardizzone told the entertainment site. "There was not one other person like her" in the facility, she said. "It was depressing. She said at night she wanted to scream."

The family managed to get Zhelesnik discharged from the rehab center, but insurance will only cover short-term care at home. To raise money for round-the-clock care, the family started a GoFundMe page.

So far, it has raised over $9,000.

Cox Media Group