VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Current and former students at First Colonial High School are helping raise thousands of dollars for a teacher after learning he was injured in a deadly fire over the weekend.
The fire happened early Saturday morning in Glen Allen, near Richmond.
Former Richmond Public School principals John Lane and his wife Janet Hall-Lane both died in the fire while their son and grandson escaped.
First Colonial sophomores Brooke Coppola and Bailey Fifield told News 3 they learned the Lane's son was their beloved freshman math teacher, Jay Lane.
Lane is currently in the hospital recovering from injuries he sustained while escaping the flames.
The two girls started a GoFundMe Sunday night, which quickly passed its $5,000 goal to help Lane with medical bills thanks to donations from everyone from complete strangers to current and former students.
"He's a good teacher and he's always also someone that they trust and feel like they can talk to when they need something. We all feel we should help him because of how much we helped us," said Coppola.
Another GoFundMe has also been set up for Lane. This one by Aaron Rouse, who first had Lane as a teacher in the 90s. The two have remained close through college, Rouse's professional football career and now in the hospital.
"He's doing well, but he's going to need to get better and that's where we come in at so we're going to send him all the support we can," said Rouse.
Rouse says the family is thankful for all the support they've gotten, but they would like some privacy at this time.
Rouse says any cards should be dropped off at First Colonial High School. He plans to take them to Lane on Friday.
