After a teacher was killed in Uvalde, her husband died of a heart attack. Now, a GoFundMe has raised more than $2.6 million for their family.

Over 46,900 donations totaling $2,613,310 have been made, far surpassing the $10,000 fundraising goal

Irma and Joe Garcia in an image taken from a GoFundMe campaign set up after their deaths (Jamie and Debra Austin/GoFundMe)

Fourth grade teacher Irma Garcia died in the Uvalde school shooting that targeted her fourth grade classroom and killed her co-teacher and 19 students.

Two days after the attack, her grieving husband Joe Garcia collapsed and died at home from a heart attack.

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The couple left behind four children -- Cristian, Jose, Lyliana and Alysandra.

Now, a GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $2.6 million for the family.

“Irma was a wife, a mother of 4, a cousin, a sister a daughter, an aunt and a wonderful person. She would literally do anything for anybody......no questions asked,” Irma’s cousin Debra Austin wrote on the GoFundMe campaign she started. “She loved her classroom kids and died trying to protect them.”

“Please donate anything you can to help her family,” Austin wrote. “100% of the proceeds will go to the Garcia family for various expenses.”

As of this writing, over 46,900 donations totaling $2,613,310 have been made, far surpassing the $10,000 fundraising goal.

“I would like to thank all the donors worldwide that have contributed to these wonderful kids,” Austin wrote in an update. “The prayers and love and support you have sent are so very much appreciated and needed as they continue their journey through life without their mother and father. Joe and Irma were amazing people and two of the most loving parents we as a family have ever known. They were so proud of all their kids. They are loved and missed beyond what words can explain. Thank you again from the entire family.”

Irma’s nephew John Martinez  also started a GoFundMe for the deceased couple’s family, which raised $557,342. The fundraiser was later combined with Austin’s fundraiser. Both GoFundMe campaigns are verified by the crowdfunding platform’s trust and safety team.

Irma and Joe were “high school sweethearts,” Martinez wrote in his fundraiser.

“I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart and losing the love of his life of more than 25 years was too much to bear,” Austin wrote.

Irma taught at Robb Elementary in Uvalde for 23 years, according to her school biography.

Click here to view all the verified GoFundMe fundraisers for people affected by the Robb Elementary School shooting.


About the Author:

Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. When she’s not hard at work in the KPRC 2 newsroom, you can find Bri drinking away her hard earned wages at JuiceLand, running around Hermann Park, listening to crime podcasts or ransacking the magazine stand at Barnes & Noble.