Personal message

Occasionally in this life you meet someone remarkable. Kerry Katz is one of those people. I could blabber on about her talents and achievements but I need to get to the crux of the matter. Her creativity and many gifts pale in comparison to her generosity. She is literally one of those people who would take the shirt off her back to give it to you. Her husband Jay and her kids, Judah 14 and Ezra 21 are the same sort of people, the kind who give. That's just what they do.

In January 2023 she started a homeschool centre in Waterfall, Kzn, realizing the need for a safe space where neurodivergent kids could not only take a breath and heal while being educated, but a place where they could thrive. The school, Genius Junction has been running successfully, currently educating 36 students from grade 1 -grade 12. Kerry shares snippets of school life on her Facebook page; a testament to what she and her staff have achieved, a happy place where kids can enjoy learning in spite of their challenges. Kerry is instilling that same spirit of generosity in her students as they become involved in the community and local charities.

The school suffered a major setback recently when their beloved Maths and Science teacher had a series of strokes from which he is still recovering. Sadly, Kerry herself has suffered her own major health setback and was diagnosed with cancer on the same day that her fellow teacher suffered a stroke. Surgery to remove her lymph nodes is booked for December 12th.  As if that wasn't enough, Kerry received an unexpected 30 day notice for the end of her tenancy, when she had expected her school premises to be secured until 2025. Her and her family need to pack up their school and home, move 2 large Gemini huts and find another suitable location within the correct price range before the end of December. A tall order for anyone and pre-cancer Kerry would have managed with ease, but now things are different.

A suitable property has not been found. Kerry's greatest concern is for her students to have a school to return to, free from disruption, for her family to have a home and for her livelihood to continue. If you know anything about children on the spectrum, change is their greatest enemy, so this move will be challenging enough for the students, but without a venue to envisage it will be devastating.

Kerry the helper of many is now needing help, big time.

She and her family have endured way more than their fair share of hardships in the past few years, in fact a mind-boggling share. This feels like the last straw, but it doesn't have to be. If you want to be a part of ensuring the survival of Genius Junction please donate funds.

These funds will be used to:

- fund the move and packing up of the school and Kerry's home (while recovering from surgery)

-assist Kerry and her family in the shortfall of their medical expenses not covered by her in-hospital medical plan

-create a financial buffer for potential future uncertainties that Kerry, her family and Genius Junction may face in light of her diagnosis

-potentially be used as a deposit on a property in order to secure a more permanent location for Genius Junction

If you are able to assist in finding an alternative property rental /purchase or perhaps have contacts in the removals industry who could sponsor their move, that would be wonderful.

Thank you for reading my amazing friend's story, please share it far and wide.

 

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