Roberta Harris wants people to know you can still have a life after facing trauma.
When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, the now-retired school secretary at George McDougall High School continued working.
“It was tough, but I wanted to work. I didn’t want to stay home feeling sorry for myself,” says Harris.
“I’m not going to lie, I had a couple of naps in the school infirmary, but it was good to keep my mind off things.”
After 14 months of treatment, Harris made a full recovery in 2017. Later that year, however, her husband woke up unable to move.
Doctors discovered he had an infection in his spine, and a hole in the back of his throat. He spent months in ICU, eventually leaving him a quadriplegic.
“Life doesn’t really stop just because something bad happens, you have to keep going. So, I make sure we get out of the house and take a breath of fresh air,” says Harris.
“She is never one to complain but life has given her more than her share of challenges. I can’t think of a woman with a more courageous heart,” says nominator Kerri King.