Sharon's Story

I am a nine-year cancer survivor of breast cancer, and yet sometimes, it seems like it was just yesterday that the doctor said, "I'm sorry but the biopsy was positive."

As an elementary school principal facing surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, I was concerned about how the diagnosis would impact my professional life as well as my personal life. Young children have many questions and use their personal experiences as a filter to understand new information. I didn't want the children to be frightened by the word cancer. I wanted to make sure that the students and their families had accurate information about my diagnosis to prevent rumors. On the other hand, I needed to balance that with my need for privacy. A difficult balance to find but every day I put on my best smile and my wig and answered their questions as simply and honestly as I could. Secretly, I worried that the children might make jokes about my wig; they didn't. Children were amazing - once you answer their questions, they don't dwell on the, "what if's", they accept it and shift their focus to the next thing happening in their young lives.

I proudly wear my Butterfly of Life, designed by my friend and support group member, Rita Willaert. It serves as a reminder to me to be vigilant about my health, and hopefully, it others about the need to support on-going efforts to find a cure.