2022 Survivor Profile - Kathi Glass

It was the fall of 2005 and Kathi Glass, then 53, was on a camping trip near upstate New Paltz with her fifth-grade class. Two days earlier, doctors had performed a biopsy on the elementary schoolteacher’s left breast. “My husband called me, which was odd because it wasn’t the easiest place to reach, and he said that they found cancer there,” recalled Kathi, a Merrick mother of four and grandmother of eight. “It was a big shock, and I was taking care of kids and I didn’t have a private spot to talk to anyone. I was stuck there for two days.”

Doctors diagnosed ductal carcinoma in situ, an early-stage cancer of the milk duct in her breast. She opted for a lumpectomy, surgery to remove the lump, and underwent 30 rounds of radiation therapy.

Kathi says her husband’s love and support helped her cope with the trauma and distress of her diagnosis. “My husband was my biggest supporter,” she said. “He reached out to friends and acquaintances for referrals, set up appointments and took care of the household responsibilities.”

During her six weeks of treatment, Kathi continued to work, which she called her “welcome escape.” “When you are teaching, you are completely transported, and you are always in the moment,” she said.“ It was a great coping mechanism.”

Kathi, now 69, has been cancer-free for 16 years. She says she had always “promised herself” that after hearing about the Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program that she would offer “solace and support to the newly diagnosed” by volunteering at the nonprofit when she “had the time.” Soon after Kathi retired from teaching last year, she has made good on her promise and is “giving back to others” at the hotline.

Kathi’s advice to those, especially women, facing a breast cancer diagnosis is to “put yourself first.”“Women tend to always take care of others,” she said. “You need to be proactive, do your research, follow the prescribed protocol and ask for help. This is your moment to concentrate on yourself.”