Del City Teacher Honored for Fight with Cancer

By Melissa Maynarich, NEWS 9

DEL CITY, Oklahoma -- A metro kindergarten class is learning about a lot more than reading this year. They're learning how to cope with cancer.

A beloved teacher has had to leave her students to fight the disease that's growing in her liver.

Ms. Linda Rippetoe is on leave from a grade school in Del City. She's been gone since January to fight the liver cancer that's believed to be in stage three.

In art class at Epperly Heights Elementary, students are sketching superheroes. They are preparing for "Superhero Night", a fund raising event in honor of one of their teachers.

Rippetoe is a woman they believe has the strength of a superhero to fight the cancer in her liver.

"When we got the news about the cancer, it hit all of us pretty hard, but you know she still was just like, ‘Uh, I'm going to beat this. I am going to beat this, guys'" Art Teacher Rene Mateo said.

Rippetoe was diagnosed in November and didn't start treatment until last month. Right now she's in Texas, hoping to get the help she needs medically, and financially.

"I'm kinda at a standstill right now for money," Rippetoe said. "Yes, my insurance had kind of written me off. They said they spend money on me."

Rippetoe's students are under the supervision of a substitute teacher. The first long-term sub they've had in her 27 years at the school.

In the meantime, the superhero artwork is coming along to be displayed at the fundraising event; a gesture in which the entire school is involved.

"This is nothing that Linda has asked for us to do, this is something that we want to do as a community, as a school, and I think it's something that we should do to take care of our own," Epperly Heights Principal Kevin Hill said.

Superhero Night at Epperly Heights Elementary will be held Thursday, May 14 at the school. There will be a meal and silent auction.

There will also be a parking lot sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday. All proceeds benefit Ms. Rippetoe.