Teacher Raising Sick Child Cries When He Opens a Box His Students Give Him

It was a regular day for one high school teacher as he walked into the classroom, and his students greeted him warmly. As he stood behind his desk, one of the students placed a brown box in front of him. When he finally opened it, he was reduced to tears after finding what was inside.

The school is referred to as a second home for students because that's where they spend the most time when not with their families. In addition to teaching children about various subjects, educational institutions help nurture and nourish young minds, giving them the wings to fly and the confidence to leap.

Teachers are like parental figures to youngsters and deserve the same love, respect, and care as our mothers, fathers, and elderly relatives. With pupils seeing their teachers five times a week, they are likely to develop a loving and respectful relationship.

A Heartwarming Connection

Through the course of their friendship, students not only learn to confide in their teachers but also believe everything they say. As time passes, both parties can forge a profoundly heartwarming bond that might go beyond the classroom.

Whatever the real reasons, the Immaculate Heart of Mary pupils were determined to help in any way possible.

This couldn't be more true for some students of the Immaculate Heart of Mary school in San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines. The grade-12 Philemon students held one of their teachers in the highest regard and wanted nothing more than to see him happy.

The Teacher's Predicament

One day, the students teamed up to plan a special surprise for their beloved instructor, Cesar Punzalan. They were deeply moved after learning that Sir Punzalan, as they referred to him, had to walk for one hour daily to reach their school. But that wasn't all.

Sir Punzalan had an unwell child at home; perhaps that was why he never missed work. Moreover, his thoughtful students suspected he had been coming to school in worn-out shoes for the longest time because his salary was going toward his kid's treatment.

They figured that maybe Sir Punzalan didn't wish to invest in new shoes because he was short of money. Perhaps he wanted to see how long his old shoes would last and didn't consider it an essentially urgent matter.

Planning a Lovely Surprise

Whatever the real reasons, the Immaculate Heart of Mary pupils were determined to help in any way possible. And so they pooled in and purchased a lovely gift for the teacher who meant the world to them.

It was time to share the goodness with Mr. Punzalan. One day, in the summer of 2019, the devoted teacher walked inside the classroom, utterly oblivious to what his students had planned.

As he stood behind his table, ready to start the class, a student slipped a brown and red box with a ribbon on his table. Surprised, he turned to face his students, looking for answers.

At a Loss for Words

One of the pupils told Sir Punzalan to open the box—a gift from him and the others. Slowly and gently, the Filipino teacher untied the ribbon, blissfully unaware of what was inside. Eventually, he removed the lid and was flabbergasted by what he saw.

There was a pair of brand-new shoes inside the box—a touching present from his vigilant students. As expected, the humble instructor couldn't control his emotions and teared up.

While he struggled to talk, his gratitude and love for his students were written all over his face. He considered himself just as fortunate as his grade-12 pupils felt for being blessed with the best teacher!

Sharing the Goodness Online

One of the students captured the emotional moment on video, and his mother, Michelle Legaspi, posted it on Facebook in August 2019. It was captioned:

"This video made me happy and cry ❤ Plss watch love and respect our TEACHERS they are our 2nd parents. 8.1.2019 Immaculate Heart of Mary School Grade 12- Philemon (sic)."

Netizens React

As of March 20, 2023, the clip has become a viral sensation on Facebook, garnering as many as 45,000 views. Let's take a look at a few comments of appreciation and support:

"I hope there is a good heart to share blessings with sir.. Cesar deserves it, so please help plsss share with him those rich people with a good heart God bless us amen (sic)."

— (@michelle.legaspi.5076) August 3, 2019

"The teacher is also kind."

— (@jhunruth.planea) August 1, 2019

"Those children know how to love .. just like your children Michelle ... 👍I am with the children .. the teacher is happy (sic)."

— (@azucena.naceno) August 1, 2019

No act of kindness is ever small, and nothing done from the goodness of our hearts can go unnoticed! We want to thank the young Filipino students for setting a shining example and teaching us the importance of showing love and respect to our teachers!

Click here to read about an 80-year-old man forced to work as a school janitor to survive. Then, one day, he received $240,000 thanks to his students.