ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The family of Emily Casey, a beloved social studies teacher at Our Lady of Mercy, is honoring her memory by giving back to the school and its students. Emily passed away less than a month after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, a rare and devastating brain disorder.

Emily’s husband, Allen Casey, presented a $60,000 check to establish a scholarship in her name.

Allen shared, “She loved it, she loved the students, she taught all those girls and she treated them as if they were part of her family.”

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease affects about one in every one million people and offers a grim prognosis. Allen recalled the moment they received the diagnosis: “You have somewhere between 3 weeks to a year to live, there’s nothing we can do for you, we can send you home with a couple of pills to help with the tremors and sign up for hospice.”

Emily left behind her husband, Allen, and their two young children, 4-year-old Liam and 1-year-old Libby. In the aftermath of her passing, Emily’s students rallied to raise funds for her children’s future education.

“The support we’ve had over the last year has been amazing,” Allen said. “It’s helped out so much not just the financial aspect of it but the love and everything else we received from everybody has just been great.”

The scholarship aims to provide opportunities for students pursuing education, especially those interested in teaching.

“I hope that it gives people the same opportunities that she had and will allow people to continue their education into whatever field they choose to go into,” Allen expressed.

Emily’s impact on her students was profound.

Anani Holiday, one of her students, fondly remembered, “She made it a wonderful experience. I remember lots of laughs being exchanged and it’s honestly a year I won’t ever forget.”

In addition to the scholarship, a mural and a plaque have been created in Emily’s memory at the school. The plaque features a phrase she often used to end her classes: “Have a good day, make good choices and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

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