For more than three decades, Donna Session dedicated her life to teaching Detroit students, becoming known as both a hero and a fighter. Now, after a health crisis, her family says she needs the community’s help.
In March, Session suffered a right-brain bleed that doctors say was linked to high blood pressure, likely brought on by years of stress. Her daughter, Dana Session, remembers the moment she got the call.
“My heart dropped,” Dana Session said. “I always looked at my mom as my hero, but now it’s like, she’s got some magic in her too.”
Session’s family says she carried heavy burdens quietly.
“It’s easy for someone who carries a lot of weight to not look like they’re carrying a lot of weight,” said her daughter, Venice Session.
That weight, they say, came from decades in education. Over 30 years, Donna Session worked through staffing shortages, heavy workloads, and the challenges of leading classrooms, pressures that often lead to burnout or chronic illness.
Yet even after her health setback, Donna Session says teaching remains a core part of her identity.
“I still am a teacher,” she said.
After neurosurgery, weeks in the ICU, and intensive rehabilitation, Session is now recovering at home. But her fight isn’t over. Medical bills continue to mount as she works to regain mobility and speech.
Her husband, Vince, says the family is leaning on faith and community support.
“We always need a lot of help,” he said. “I told her, her work is not going to be in vain. God is going to do exactly what He said He’s going to do.”
Her daughters say their mother’s story is still being written, one of perseverance, service, and love.
“She’s still writing her story; as she says, she’s creating it every day,” Venice Session said.
With every step forward, Donna Session carries the strength of Detroit Proud: steadfast and unyielding.
The Session family has launched a fundraiser to help cover medical costs, home renovations, specialized care, and adaptive equipment as Donna Session continues her recovery.