MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. – As another school year comes to a close, a teacher at Henry Sibley High School is reflecting on a powerful lesson he learned.
Steve Lufkin has spent his entire career at Sibley High, 27 years. He would like to make it more, but sometimes life can get in the way. Lufkin has ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
“My disease has gotten to a point where I can't anymore. I can't be as effective as I was,” described Lufkin.
“ALS has in the progression, as it does through the time, it slowly takes away stuff and this is the next little bump in my road.”
Taking Lufkin out of the classroom is just one of the many punches he’s had to take from ALS since being diagnosed in 2014. But ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, can’t take everything.
“That's how he comes in, a student willing and wanting to help and seeing a role he could step in,” said Lufkin.
Freshman Jimmy Kinzer heard a part on the right wheel of Mr. Lufkin’s wheelchair was broken.
“I just thought it would be cool to do. I knew how to do this, wanted to use it in real life situation. I went on the inventor program and I designed this whole thing for it and 3D printed it. I measured pretty much everything you could about this part so I could make it,” said Kinzer.
Three weeks later, the part was ready.
“Yeah, I thought it was going to fail first time. The look on his [Kinzer] face when he came up and able to do it and get it to fit. Excitement he had, he was able to fix that for me. That's what it’s all about,” said Lufkin.
As he prepares to say goodbye to Sibley, the generosity of everyone at the school will be a lasting lesson for Lufkin.
“I think the big part is they are so willing to help. This school has really come around me and my family, and that will be hard,” said Lufkin.