COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A pair of high school teachers in Cobb County say they have a lifelong bond after going through breast cancer treatments at the same time.
But neither woman wanted to let their diagnosis control their life, so they chose to continue teaching at Kennesaw Mountain High School while they were undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.
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“Even though cancer is such a horrible word, it’s a name. You can fight it,” Niki Jaquish said.
“When you’re actually told you have cancer, it just emotionally takes over, and I started to cry,” Sherry Williams said.
Jaquish had already beaten cancer once before.
“Because the two battles were so close together, of course it was harder. My poor little body was just tired,” Jaquish said. “Going through it the second time, the lows were lower, the highs weren’t quite as high."
“She just was so inspiring and gave me hope. She had already been a survivor, and she was a warrior again," Williams said.
Both said their students and coworkers pushed them to persevere through the hard times.
“I couldn’t have done it without them,” Jaquish said.
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Now, both women are cancer-free and are spreading hope and awareness.
“Even if you’re fearful, you have to face it. The sooner the better, “Williams said, “because I had a mammogram six months before I found my lump.”
“Everybody watching this has a cancer story, whether it’s them or somebody in their family or somebody that they know. I think Sherry and I can be the happy story,” Jaquish said.
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