600 students cheer on principal as she heads to her last radiation session

UNION COUNTY, Ga. — The principal at Union County Elementary School was in tears as she described her breast cancer journey to Channel 2 Action News Tuesday morning -- but they were happy tears.

It was back in September when principal Patricia Cook learned she had breast cancer.

But Cook told Channel 2's Kimberly Richardson it wasn't herself she was worried about. It was her students.

"I got sick right at the height of the flu epidemic," Cook said. "I had to be in isolation from my kids and it was just such a hard thing to do."

And now, after three surgeries, a really bad infection and radiation, it's her students who are there for her.

On Monday, more than 600 of her students and staff cheered outside their elementary school as Cook drove off on her last day of radiation.

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"Overwhelmed," Cook said. “I felt so overwhelmed with support."

Cook has been the principal for more than 10 years now and said she's just in awe with her students and staff. She said she wants them to know they'll go through some hard times, but that not everyone dies.

"I tried to stay positive on my journey," Cook said. "I even created a YouTube Channel so everyone could have a good laugh. We all need that right now."

If you'd like to wish Cook well wishes, you can head over to the Union County Elementary School Facebook page.

It's there you can truly see what a wonderful impact the principal has had on her community in Union County.

"It just goes to show if you show people love and kindness, you get just that," Cook said through tears.

Cox Media Group