BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo school leader battling breast cancer hasn’t let it stop her from showing up to work. She is inspiring many with her dedication to her job and her students.
Every day is a new day and going to school is something Helen Marlette, the head of school at Buffalo Seminary, looks forward to doing every morning.
"Did you guys know you inspire me? One of the reasons I get up, is just to see kids every day," Marlette said.
But now, getting to school is a big challenge for Marlette.
"Discovering a lump in my breast was freighting and kind of self denied like I don't think so, but had a mammogram, and started to realized that 'yep, it is as I suspected.' There was something there," she said.
Marlette was diagnosed with breast cancer, a disease that happens to one out of eight women, but that didn't stop her from coming to work.
"It was important to me to keep my mind busy and active. It's why I have been in school for as long as I have. Every day is a new day, and the surprises are kind of the wonderful part, and being around smart young women helps," she said.
Every morning, she would get up, come to school, and even put in a workout.
"I was even a little grace from my colleagues, I came late. I did walk every morning with my husband during treatment. We live near Delaware Park so, we would do the loop around Delaware Park," she said.
Marlette wanted her students to know that everyone handles things differently, and if she wasn't feeling too good, she wasn't going to hide it.
"I worry about this because I don't want people to think my way is the right way. I think whatever works for you is the right way to deal with the challenge. I feel fortunate that I felt well and had the support. I had a job, I would continue doing. There are some jobs I may have not been able to do, but I could do this job. I am lucky in a lot of ways," she said.