Atlanta Teacher Dies After Suffering From Flu

ATLANTA, GA — A teacher at an Atlanta middle school has died after friends say she was suffering from the flu.

WSB-TV reports that Cathryn Kearns, 38, a teacher at Sutton Middle School in northwest Atlanta, died Friday after suffering a massive stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke and heart attack can be associated with the flu.

Friends and family told WSB that Kearns had been feeling better after being sick.

"She was perfectly fine. She had hung out with a friend on Monday," Kim Kozak, a lifelong friend, told the station. "She went to Peachtree City, had a great day with her dad and friends."

On Monday, counselors were on hand at Sutton Middle School, where Kearns, a 6th-grade English and language arts teacher, was being mourned and remembered.

"News of her passing has been such a shock for those that knew and loved her," Gail Johnson, the school's principal, wrote on its website. "Ms. Kearns has always been known for her love of students and her amazing passion for teaching. Her father shared with me that she had dreamed of being a teacher since she was a toddler.

"Without a doubt, she fulfilled that dream and more as her impact on students was incredible both in the classroom and as a coach. Her loss at such a young age will be challenging for staff, students and families. Our entire school staff extends our deepest sympathy to the family of Ms. Kearns."

Kearns also coached volleyball and was a volunteer with the Susan G. Komen breast-cancer walk and Ronald McDonald House Charities. A memorial service has been planned for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Northside United Methodist Church, at 2799 Northside Dr. NW in Atlanta.

The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory be made to either the Ronald McDonald House Charities, or St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Erin Prairie, WI.

As of last week, there had been 98 confirmed influenza-related deaths in Georgia during this flu season, according to the state Department of Public Health. In metro Atlanta alone, there have been 2,034 flu-related hospitalizations during what health officials say has been a particularly brutal flu season nationwide.

Photo courtesy Sutton Middle School