Parsippany Schools Come Together to Aid Student With Recurring Brain Cancer

It’s not often a school district with 7,000 students and another 750 teachers can come together and join as one for a common goal.

But Parsippany is doing just that, and the cause is an extraordinary one: to support, financially and mentally, a fellow student who has undergone seven brain surgeries in 11 years.

Peter Hebberd is a senior at Parsippany High School this year. He might be just one of the hundreds of other students thinking about class, prom, even more education after graduation.

But Hebberd is also constantly thinking about the recurrent brain tumor he’s battled since 2003. By all accounts, Hebberd is nothing short of a warrior and survivor according to his peers and teachers.

“Peter is the most caring, empathetic, selfless person I’ve ever known,” said Jennifer Fedo, his life skills and job skills teacher and the one with whom he works most closely. “He makes people laugh, he puts others first, and he’s just very genuine.”

Hebberd has undergone a total of 13 surgeries in 11 years, seven of which were brain procedures. On top of that, he’s had three rounds of chemotherapy, a feeding tube, medi-port, staph infection, and more than 50 MRIs to go along with a seemingly endless line of physical, occupational, and speech therapy sessions.

Despite taking all of it in stride for years, teachers noticed a marked difference in Hebberd’s personality at the start of the 2014 school year. It was easy to see Hebberd’s medical condition was impacting him.

Fedo knew something had to be done, and as the senior class advisor, she put the wheels in motion.

From Dec. 15 to Dec. 18, Parsippany-Troy Hills School District will celebrate “Peter Week,” and have a “Blue-Out” on the final day. All 750 faculty members, secretaries, and support staff across the 14 school buildings are invited to wear blue and donate $2 to the cause. Students at Parsippany High School will also donate $1 each to create a wall of inspiration.

Aside from Peter Week, a GoFundMe page has been established for Hebberd and his family, which can be found here. As of Dec. 11 the page had raised $4,900 in two months.

Hebberd’s procedures are over for now, but he’s still not in school and is undergoing rehabilitation. He won’t be in school for Peter Week but has created a video to share with his peers across the district.

Pictured: Peter Hebberd; A plaque honoring Hebberd and his family graces Parsippany High School’s main entrance walkway. Hebberd’s is the largest and most prominent of the many tributes lining the path; Students of all grades gather for a service night, dedicated to cutting out blue balloons in preparation for the tribute to Hebberd. Photo Courtesy Parsippany-Troy Hills Education Association