On March 12, Physical Education teacher Ryan Pietsch was hospitalized due to an infection in his pancreas. He was immediately sent to the intensive care unit due to the severity of the infection.

Pietsch was put on dialysis on March 14 to remove waste and excess water from the blood. His doctors diagnosed him with pancreatitis. From March 16-25, Pietsch was placed on a ventilator which is a machine designed to move breathable air in and out of the lungs. Pietsch’s kidneys began to work again and he started to regain his ability to walk on March 28.

“When I first heard about Pietsch, I could not believe it. Then, I started hearing more details about it and how serious it was. It was really hard to think about because as my basketball coach, Pietsch and I were very close,” senior Megan Loaney said.

Pietsch was released from the hospital on April 1, but may not be back teaching for the rest of the school year.

“Pietsch is definitely missed by the West community,” junior Drew Seers said. “It’s a sad situation. I hope he has a quick recovery and he is back to his normal routine and teaching here soon.”

A few of Pietsch’s close friends set up a GoFundMe page to help with the expenses of his care. Within 20 days, 225 people have raised $12,175.

“We are so blessed by the outpouring of support from everyone. To say we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the kind words, prayers and donations is an understatement. When our friends initiated the idea to set up this page we didn’t know what to expect, what was appropriate or what the Lord had in store,” Pietsch’s fiancee, Paige Miller said. “It is obvious Ryan is loved by so many and the Lord will continue to bless us. We have a long road ahead and will need the continuous prayers and support.”