Beloved teacher hospitalized

During the last week of first semester, AP Statistics teacher Ryan Hoffman began feeling numbness in the bottom of his feet. While vacationing in Las Vegas the following Saturday, the numbness and tingling in his feet had spread all the way up to his waist. Mr. Hoffman was later diagnosed with Guillain Barré Syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disorder in which healthy nerve cells of the peripheral nervous system are attacked by the immune system. Early symptoms of the disorder include weakness, numbness and tingling which can quickly progress to paralysis. Many students, parents and faculty in the community were devastated when the news first broke.  When Hoffman first heard the news, he was baffled.  after the initial diagnosis, Hoffman’s symptoms worsened. “I didn’t know if this was going to kill me, permanently damage me, or what,” Hoffman said.The doctors reassured him that they were confident that with proper treatment and rehabilitation that he would make a full recovery. Days later, on Dec. 27, a GoFundMe was created by Hoffman’s extended family to help pay for his medical expenses. Hundreds of people from the Samo community and internet began showing their love and support through donating. The initial goal for the fundraiser of 25 thousand dollars was met with a total of 361 having help reach it.“The GoFundMe donations and support were truly mind-blowing and incredible–especially since the majority of donors seemed to be current and former students, parents, and colleagues,” Hoffman said. During Hoffman’s absence, the way the AP Statistics has been presented to students has changed. All students have been tasked with learning the Statistics curriculum on their own. They are assigned to watch video’s explaining the lessons daily and come into class the next day to do homework problems pertaining to the video. It’s not clear if this change is related to Hoffman’s absence, but many individuals are not too keen with the new change.“It’s definitely tough on me personally, and I’m sure most of the class could say the same,” Max Liew (’17) said. “I appreciate the work our substitute is doing for us, but it’s not the same without Mr. Hoffman’s liveliness and enthusiasm.” The recovery process has been quite beneficial. For the first week Hoffman was pretty immobile and was limited to watching television and sleeping. As the weeks went on, he started regaining his strength and was able to do more around the house–he began using the computer, doing dishes and folding laundry. This is the longest period of time Hoffman has taken off during his whole teaching career. In addition, he is frequently visited by guests and has been going to doctor appointments and physical therapy sessions twice a week. “I would like to thank the Samohi community for all that everyone has done in my time of illness and need. The amount of love and support has been indescribable,” Hoffman said. “I love teaching at Samohi. The support that I’ve received through this difficult experience has reminded me of how special the Samohi community truly is. I can’t wait to get back to I306 to do what I love doing the most–teaching students!”