PULASKI COUNTY (WSLS 10) - A picture of a Pulaski County teacher who battled cancer went viral after she posted it Monday following her last cancer treatment.
Pulaski County High School history teacher Amanda Dishon has been teaching there for 11 years. She and her students have both learned some of the best lessons don't come from lectures in the classroom.
In November, when Dishon was just 34-years-old, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She kept doing what she loved.
"I continue to work because I love my job and I love my kids," she said. "They really help me kind of get through it."
On Monday, Dishon completed her final treatment and posted a picture showing what she'd gone through over the last several months: 3 surgeries, 6 rounds of chemotherapy and 33 radiation treatments.
"I arranged to have my treatments on Thursday so I could be out Thursday and Friday. I'd be sick on Saturday and Sunday and then try to get back on Monday," Dishon said. "I thought 'I'll just put one big picture that tells everybody I'm done, I'm OK, thank you,' and just move on."
But kids, parents, former students and even people she doesn't know shared the picture online.
Like most students at Pulaski County High, Makayla Janney didn't come to Ms. Dishon's class until her junior year, shortly after Dishon was diagnosed. Janney said if she didn't know otherwise, she may not have known about her teacher's fight.
"Probably not. Probably not," she said. "Her attitude was never changing. It was always positive, no matter how bad she felt."
Dishon made it to school most days. While she had to give up leading softball for a year, she still found a way to coach her kids.
"She was always positive and she kept us positive," said softball player Chelsea Doss.
Members of the softball team designed and sold bracelets to help pay for their coach's cancer care.
"It really taught me that nothing is perfect. Life isn't perfect either, you just have to fight through it," said teammate Kayla Price.
Students aren't the only ones to learn from Dishon's ordeal. She said she's learned from her students as well. Often criticized for being more connected to devices, Dishon said she learned that wasn't actually the case. These students are deeply connected to others.
"So many kids. Kids I know, the kids I don't know. Everybody's been so, I've got your back I'm so supportive. Whatever you need. "
Dishon said students always stopped by to check on her.
"I think they kinda worked out a schedule. You know, these kids come check on me in the morning before school, these kids peek in the window and say how are you doing during class time."
Dishon said following her treatment, doctors were able to remove any remaining cancer. She's looking forward to only having screenings and tests to make sure the cancer doesn't come back.
"I'm really lucky," she said.