Candlelight Vigil For Lower Phys Ed Teacher Planned for March 4

NORTH CAPE MAY – “We always take care of our own.” That was how one local teacher described the overwhelming response to a GoFundMe campaign for Jerry Griffin, a 28-year-old elementary school physical education teacher who sustained several strokes recently and is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) at a New Jersey hospital. 
Griffin, of North Cape May, was taken to Cooper University Hospital, Camden, Feb. 26, after collapsing at the gym from an unknown medical problem, according to his friend and co-worker Thomas “TJ” Belasco, of North Cape May.
“After being airlifted to Cooper, the medical team found a blood clot at the stem of Jerry’s brain blocking blood flow to his brain causing multiple strokes,” Belasco, a teacher at Lower Cape May Regional High School, said. “Jerry is currently fighting for his life at Cooper Medical Center as they have not been able to remove the clot.”
A prayer service to “send positive energy” called, “Light It Up for Jerry,” is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 4, at Lower Cape May Regional High School’s baseball field, where Griffin coached.
“We originally set up the GoFundMe page to help Jerry and his fiance, Helen Linney, with the expenses not covered by his medical insurance,” Belasco said.
“Helen is by his bedside, so she is losing income as well. We are hoping this gives her some peace of mind in covering her bills.”
In just 22 hours, over $60,000 was raised, according to the website www.gofundme.com/Jerrygriffin. A few hours later, another $9,000 had been raised.
Belasco also works with Griffin as a bartender at Washington Inn, Cape May. “My first encounter with Jerry was as a student of mine, and then we worked summers at the Washington Inn,” he said. “We’ve been floored by the response of the community; Cape May always takes care of its own.
“Jerry and Helen are the types of people who always have a smile,” he added. “They are both so caring and wonderful. We initially felt helpless, and then we came up with this idea (fundraising) of how we could help them and thought we needed to think big and set a goal of $30,000 initially.
“We quickly achieved that, and then continued to raise more, and we’re now shooting for $70,000,” he added when contacted March 2. “I know the donations will taper off, but at least Helen can draw on it for the month of March to pay the mortgage, food and travel expenses up to the hospital.”
Friends contacted about Griffin described him as a “young, kind, athletic” young man who would “give up his own time to help a young baseball player learn the fundamentals if he was having troubles.”
Belasco described Griffin as a “kid at heart,” adding that he was “caring and wonderful” when dealing with his students.
Jimmy Iapaluccci, of North Cape May, said he’d known Griffin for 14 years and calls him his best friend.
“I first met him working at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House. We would watch him play baseball and root for him in high school, just having a blast. After college, he was in a men’s softball league that was pretty competitive, and our team was pretty tightly knit. We are all super close to Jerry; he is so hard-working and passionate.”
Iapalucci has been spending a lot of time at the hospital, offering support to his friend and Linney. “Today (March 2) was a good day,” he noted. “He’s talking and responding to the doctors and is in good spirits. They think the blood is flowing a little better so the clot may have decreased a bit. The doctors are calling this a very rare case; it’s just very hard on everyone.”
Linney, he said, “is doing as good as can be expected. They just got engaged a couple of months ago, so this is really tough on her as well.”
“As of today, we have no idea how long he will be in the hospital and out of work,” Belasco said. “They could really use our help. Aside from the added expenses of a hospital stay, daily bills pile up. So far we have all been doing our best with prayers and positive thoughts, but now please consider helping with your wallets.
“One of the amazing things about Cape May and Lower Township is the sense of community and how well we support each other when in need,” he added. “Remember the words of Charles Dickens: “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.