His wife also died in 2015.
A New Mexico high school class was clearly feeling holiday generosity as they surprised their teacher with a brand new game console to raise his spirits, weeks after his 2-year-old son's leukemia diagnosis.
Nathan Neidigk, a pre-calculus teacher at Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque, has been under an extreme amount of stress after his toddler son Michael was diagnosed with cancer earlier this month.
Neidigk said he was out of the classroom for more than a week and when he returned, his students surprised him with a Nintendo Switch.
“We came up with the idea in the beginning of the year,” Chad Sherwood, one of Neidigk’s students, told InsideEdition.com. “Neidigk dropped hints of how he was wanted a Nintendo switch and he loved Zelda. But once we were aware his son was diagnosed with leukemia we collectively got together.”
Neidigk wasn't sure if he'd be able to afford the game with all of the hospital bills.
The students put roughly $20 each to help buy the game console, along with two games and a case.
In a video captured of the heartfelt moment, Neidigk is clearly shocked.
“It was an incredibly generous gesture,” Neidigk said. “The meaning behind it was bigger than the fact that it was an awesome gift. They found the opportunity to do something nice and allow my family to have fun moments in time of intense stress.”
Neidigk’s wife, April, also passed away in 2015.
Rick Sherwood, Chad Sherwood’s father, said Neidigk is a great teacher who always brings a positive attitude to the classroom.
“He’s a very open teacher and he shares all of this with his class. They really respect him for that,” Rick Sherwood said.
The students said they just wanted to show their appreciation for Neidigk.
“It was really important for us to do this because we knew it would mean a lot to him,” Chad Sherwood said. “He’s had some unfortunate times recently and we all just really wanted to help him out.”
RELATED STORIES
