Memorial scholarship fund created for 'beloved' Louisville Male High School teacher

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A memorial scholarship fund was created after a beloved teacher at Louisville Male High School died last week due to complications from heart disease.

Kelly DuLaney was an arts and humanities teacher who taught thousands of students over the years at the school on Preston Highway. Known as "Mama D" or "Mama DuLaney" by many of her students, DuLaney openly shared her joy of life, compassion and positive mentality with all of her students.

Leah Richards started teaching with DuLaney at Male in 2006. They quickly became friends, and Richards, a social studies teacher, soon saw how impactful DuLaney was with students.

"Whatever they needed, she was always there to provide, whether it was a hug or sometimes the tough lessons of life," Richards said. "They always respected and loved her."

DuLaney was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2019 and received a heart transplant in February. But her immune system was severely compromised, which complicated her recovery.

DuLaney, a mother of three daughters who all attended Male, remained positive and focused on her students even as she was going through her toughest moments.

"When she started having heart issues, she kept a positive mindset and was like 'I'm going to get this transplant. I'm going to push through this,'" Richards said. "She always said she was going to get back to school, because that's where she wanted to be: with the kids."

After spending years uplifting students at Male, DuLaney's legacy will live on with a scholarship. A former student created a GoFundMe to raise funds to cover funerals expenses and to create a memorial scholarship. To donate, click here.

"I can't think of another way that we could honor her, to remember her and show future generations how much of an impact she had on the lives of so many students," Richards said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. About 697,000 people in the United States died from heart disease in 2020 —one in every five deaths.

DuLaney is the second teacher at Male to die within the past year. Last August, Lisa Carson, a mother to a 1-year-old daughter, died at the age of 43. Carson, a science teacher, was diagnosed with lung cancer days before she gave birth to her daughter.