Yahoo Lifestyle Kelly Ripa gets emotional on her birthday while mourning 100-year-old teacher who changed son Joaquin Consuelos' life
Ripa admitted she was "crushed" by news that the educator died one day prior, and that she "didn't want to come to work today" as a result.
Kelly Ripa rang in her 54th birthday by celebrating the life of a woman who changed the life of her son, Joaquin Consuelos, for years to come.
While the Live cohost and her husband, Mark Consuelos, opened Wednesday's show rejoicing over Ripa's birthday, the latter shifted to a more somber tone as she got emotional while paying tribute to Yvette Siegel-Herzog, a teacher she said re-routed Joaquin's educational trajectory before dying Monday at age 100.
"Every now and again, there’s a person that enters your life that changes it for the better in ways that seem momentous at the time, but then you flash-forward 10 years, and you go, my gosh, the way this woman has impacted and changed the course of our lives, our family’s lives, can’t be overstated," Ripa said, as tears welled in her eyes as she highlighted the career of the Stephen Gaynor School co-founder, an institution focused on helping kids with "language-based learning disabilities," Ripa added.
ABC
Kelly Ripa nearly cries on her birthday on 'Live'She and Consuelos confirmed that Joaquin attended the school until 8th grade, after Ripa approached her at her "most distressed" state over her child's education.
“That’s how she met me. I think I was crying in her office. She was such a special, enlightening, empowering presence in our lives," Ripa remembered, before showing the audience a photo of Siegel-Herzog embracing Joaquin on stage at his 8th grade graduation.
“She worked every day, she lived a great life, we lost her yesterday at 100,” continued Ripa, pointing to Joaquin's status as a Michigan-based college student whom she said maintains A-grade marks to this day because of Siegel-Herzog's impact. “I was crushed yesterday, I was really, really crushed. I didn’t want to come to work today. I think about all of the generations of kids that she’s impacted and what great lovers of learning they’ve become because of her. I thank her and may your legacy live many, many lifetimes."
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Siegel-Herzon's obituary called her a "visionary educator" in New York City, and praised her for opening doors for both teachers and students in the area.
"Yvette was a trailblazer in the field of education, whose vision and passion for helping children with learning differences forever shaped the mission of Stephen Gaynor School and changed the lives of thousands of children and their families," the obituary read. "Alongside her lifelong friend and colleague, Dr. Miriam Michael, Yvette co-founded the school in 1962 with the belief that bright students who learned differently deserved a nurturing and individualized educational experience."
Live With Kelly and Mark airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings for showtimes in your area.
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