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"It is with a happy heart that I have the honor to announce that Baby Neysel is finally home with his family," wrote Stamford teacher Luciana Lira on Facebook on Saturday, May 16.
The story began when Luciana, a teacher at Hart Magnet Elementary School in Stamford, received a call from the mother of one of her students, 7-year-old Junior, who had recently moved from Guatemala.
The mother, Zully, was clearly distressed and explained she was calling from the hospital and she was going into labor and had no one else to call and that her husband, Marvin, did not understand or write English.
Then she asked Luciana if she could come to the hospital. She had just been diagnosed with COVID-19 and was about to deliver a premature baby by cesarean section.
Not really knowing the family but through her work with Junior, Luciana was stunned to learn she had been listed as the family's emergency contact.
She rushed to the hospital where she met with Marvin, who told her he thought he and Junior were probably COVID-19 positive too.
For the next six weeks, Luciana took care of the tiny baby named Neysel, as she taught school online and took care of her own family including her son and husband.
It was a hectic six-weeks, but also a rewarding one for the longtime teacher: "I wanted to first thank God for giving me the strength, the faith and the courage to do what I did after receiving Zully‘s call for help," Luciana said in a Facebook message to all who were captivated by her loving gesture.
"It was an emotional and unforgettable day for all of us! I mean, 6 weeks," she said after handing over Neysel to his family.
The special teacher said she was thankful to her students and parents who trusted her to be not only a teacher but also an advocate and guiding light.
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