In December 2019, Shirley Thomas received news no one ever wants or expects when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I got the call the Friday after Christmas,” she said, adding that she felt a wave of different emotions upon hearing the news but knew she had work to do. “I accepted it. I remember sitting there and gathering myself and then going through my call list and letting my family know.”

Thomas, an Internal Quality Control Audit Supervisor at Palmetto GBA, is a woman of action. She had surgery in February and began chemotherapy treatments in March, all while continuing to lead her newly formed team at Palmetto GBA.

“The only time I was out of work was for surgery,” Thomas said. “Working gave me more strength; working was liberating. Being able to talk with my staff and continue to help them was important to me. Even on the days when I was the most tired, I still had to be there for my team. The strength I have comes from my team needing me. I need to motivate them.”

And that is true outside of Thomas’ work life. She met another young woman going through chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer and felt compelled to connect with and comfort her. Thomas has kept in touch with her and offered her encouragement.

“Sometimes you need a reminder that it’s not just you. You're not the only person facing cancer,” Thomas said. “I think you find strength in knowing someone else understands what you're experiencing.”

Thomas is no stranger to the effects cancer can have on a person. She is the fifth person in her family to be diagnosed with cancer, and she lost her mother and aunt to the disease. This history does not cloud her optimism, and she continues to have a positive outlook during her treatment and recovery.

“This process has been so overwhelmingly good,” she said. “Even when I had those low days, the love and support people have had for me and my family has been incredible.”

It has been almost a year since Thomas’ initial diagnosis. She has undergone a bilateral mastectomy, and she completed her last round of chemotherapy in August.

“I’ve been cleared. There’s no form of cancer anywhere else in my body,” she said. “I don’t know where my story may go, but I hope to touch someone’s life someday by sharing my cancer journey.”