School Celebrates Cancer Survivor, Remembers Teacher Who Passed

These days, it seems like all of us know someone whose life has been changed by cancer.

It's the second leading cause of death in the US -- and for one school right here in the east, the disease has been cause for both heartbreak and hope.

Atlantic Elementary School in Carteret County lost one employee to cancer this past fall, but Friday it welcomed back another who recently won her battle with cancer.

The fire alarms blared at the school Friday morning -- but the students weren't escaping any flames. They were streaming down the steps to celebrate a survivor.

“When she gets out of the car, hey, this is a great celebration,” principal Chris Yeomans shouted to his students. “We're going to celebrate Ms. Leslee going through this treatment that she's been going through and fighting this terrible disease.”

Yeomans and more than 150 students and staff stood by to surprise Leslee Fulcher, an office worker who's been battling breast cancer since June -- and what a surprise it was!

With her mother by her side, Leslee told us her story of survival -- and celebration.

“We're celebrating the last day of radiation,” she said. “I was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 29^th, 2007. And I had surgery, have been through chemotherapy and [Friday] I finished my last day of radiation.”

That's reason enough for anyone to celebrate -- but Leslee's physical healing will bring much-needed emotional healing to a school, and a community, that knows the heartache cancer causes all too well.

“This school has been through some hard times,” she said. “I'm not the only one that has been diagnosed here.”

“Our Pre-K teacher, Ms. Sharon Lewis, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in late November,” Yeomans said. “And so this victory is very significant and very symbolic of our struggle against this disease and also how you need to live life.”

That's a lesson the folks at this school have learned the hard way -- but now, at the end of it all, it's their time to reflect, remember and move on.

The school will be fielding a team for the county's upcoming Relay for Life. The community raised about $600 for cancer research through a basketball fundraiser Thursday night.