Nearly two decades ago, Cheryl Kuyk was teaching fourth grade at Hewitt-Trussville Elementary, raising her three children alone, and struggling with a breast cancer diagnosis.

Cheryl, now the principal at Moody High School, went in for her yearly checkup and her doctor discovered a lump. She was sent for a mammogram, but in that test the lump her doctor found just a few days prior did not show up.

Because the doctor had already identified the definite presence of a mass, they went ahead and scheduled her for surgery.

Cheryl underwent two surgeries to remove both the lump and the lymph nodes surrounding the affected area. Following her recovery, she was told chemotherapy and radiation would be necessary for her to make a complete recovery.

The treatments needed for beating cancer are taxing on anyone. They were especially difficult for Cheryl, who had to endure them while raising her three children, whose ages spanned from 7 to 11.

“It was hard,” Cheryl said. “I had incredible support all around me, though.”

That support came from friends and fellow teachers. Meals were provided from friends, so after going for her chemo, Cheryl didn’t have to go home and cook for her family. Two teachers at her school pitched in to hire a cleaning service to come clean Cheryl’s house during her treatment.

Cheryl recalls one day, hearing a lawn mower outside her window and looking out to see someone mowing her lawn. The person doing it was a complete stranger to Cheryl, he was just someone who knew what she was going through and wanted to help in whatever way he could. One of the fondest memories Cheryl has of the support she received is the way people reached out to her children during her treatment.

“My son was in second grade and loved taking his lunch to school with him everyday,” Cheryl said. “A teacher began to make his lunch for him, so that I didn’t have to worry about it.”

While the experience showed Cheryl a lot about the supportive community she lived in, she learned a lot about her health, as well. Going for an annual mammogram is necessary to maintaining health, but going in for regular examinations is also important. If Cheryl had relied on the mammogram alone, her doctor would never have noticed her tumor.

“You have to take your health into your own hands,” Cheryl said. “Be the strong voice you need to make sure you stay healthy, because your health is up to you.”