Students at a primary school in the Netherlands are constructing a coffin for Eri van den Biggelaar, a popular teacher at the school. 40-year-old van den Biggelaar was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year and probably only has weeks to live.
Initially she asked the arts and crafts teacher Erik van Dijk to build the coffin. He suggested she let the children make it. The students, who would normally be making place mats or baskets, have completed the coffin except for the lid.
Students visit the teacher in her home and give her progress reports. "Life and death belong together. The children realized that when I explained it to them. I didn't want to be morbid about it, I wanted them to help me," she said.
