Students, staff helping teacher cope with breast cancer

The students and staff at Robert Wilson Elementary School are going out of their way to support one of their teachers who’s undergoing chemotherapy.

Chemo treatments can be a really tough thing to endure. It makes a tremendous difference when you have friends there to help lift your spirits. Kerry Williams is currently working with small groups of 4th and 5th grade students at Robert Wilson Elementary School. She’s not teaching a regular, full size classroom right now because of her battle with breast cancer if you’re wondering about the brightly colored wig, there’s a reason for that.

“It’s made it a lot easier, dealing with the loss of my hair. Sort of personal there,” said Williams. Kerry will be undergoing chemotherapy treatment for the next six months and her friends and colleagues want to lend their support so they’re all wearing wigs too a different color every day.

“Today it was a blue kind of aqua day, yesterday it was a pink day. The day before it was purple.that was a good one. (pause), said teacher Ann Cosme. Kerry said she is overwhelmed by the support she’s received. She calls it the “neatest” thing that ever happened to her.

“It’s just changed the way I feel about my friends. I have really wonderful friends. I work with fabulous people,” said Kerry. The children at Robert Wilson have all taken to wearing pink cancer awareness bracelets as a show of support for Kerry and other survivors.

“When you can come and turn something that’s very devastating into something fun and we’re all kind of teasing and playing, it’s very helpful.” Kerry Williams refers to her chemotherapy treatments as a roller coaster ride - very scary with a lot of emotional ups and downs. But it’s a ride that her family and friends are determined to take with her.

“We support each other. We’re a family and that’s what families do,” said Ann Cosme. Kerry’s three daughters have also cut their hair to show their support for their mom.

Provided by ArmMed Media
Revision date: June 22, 2011
Last revised: by Jorge P. Ribeiro, MD