Looking in a mirror at her bald head, Tami Whitaker said she would sometimes have herself a “pity party.” But the party was short-lived whenever she thought about the little special needs children she taught and what they had to go through every day.
“I would go to that classroom with those children who had such severe disabilities, and I would see how hard they would fight to learn,” she said. “I would tell myself, ‘You don’t have one thing in the world to be wah-wah-wahing over.’ That job was such a blessing and helped me get through my cancer fight. What I was going through was minor compared to what those 3-year-old babies were going through.”
kAm(9:E2<6C’D 7:89E H2D D6G6? J62CD 28@] x? u63CF2CJ[ E9:D y24<D@? >@> @7 E9C66 2?5 8C2?5>@E96C @7 E9C66 H:== 36 D6G6? J62CD 4=62C @7 E96 5:D62D6 E92E 4=2:>65 3@E9 96C 3C62DED] w6CD H2D E@ 36 ;FDE 2 C68F=2C 4964<FA E92E 52J] xE H2D 2? 6I4:E:?8 E:>6 7@C E96 72>:=J] w6C D@? H2D 86EE:?8 C625J E@ 8C25F2E6 7C@> 9:89 D49@@= 2?5 (9:E2<6C H2D A=2??:?8 E@ 8@ E@ 96C 5@4E@C 2AA@:?E>6?E[ E96? CFD9 9@>6 E@ 36 H:E9 96C D@? 2D 2 A9@E@8C2A96C 42>6 E@ E96 9@FD6 7@C 2 D6DD:@? @7 D6?:@C A:4EFC6D]k^Am
Recommended for you
Scenes from the Hands for Humanity Donation Day and Locust Grove High School Band Christmas Concert held Friday at Locust Grove High School. Click for more.PHOTOS: Hands for Humanity Donation Day and Christmas Concert at Locust Grove High School
kAm“xE H2D >J J62C=J 4964<FA[” D96 C6>6>36CD] “(96? E96J 5:5 E96 6I2>[ E96J 2D<65 9@H =@?8 E9:D =:EE=6 :?56?E:@? 925 366? F?56C >J 3C62DE] x D2:5 x’5 AFE @? 2 76H A@F?5D 2?5 E9@F89E :E H2D 46==F=:E6] %96J :>>65:2E6=J 5:5 2? F=EC2D@F?5 2?5 3:@ADJ] %96J E@=5 >6 E96J 925 42F89E :E 62C=J 2?5 H@F=5 @?=J 92G6 E@ 5@ 2 =F>A64E@>J]”k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ 96C D@? <6AE E6IE:?8 96C 2?5 2D<:?8 H96C6 D96 H2D 2?5 H9J H2D?’E D96 9@>6 7@C E96 A9@E@ D6DD:@?]k^Am
kAm“x H2D E6CC:7:65[” (9:E2<6C D2:5] “x ;FDE C6>6>36C E96 5@4E@C D2J:?8[ ‘%9:D 5@6D?’E =@@< 8@@5] xE’D 42?46C]’ x C6>6>36C H2=<:?8 @FE E@ >J 42C 2?5 86EE:?8 :? >J 42C[ 2?5 x D2E E96C6 2?5 D2E E96C6 2?5 ;FDE DE2CE65 DBF2==:?8] x 5:5?’E <?@H H9@ E@ 42==] x 5:5?’E H2?E E@ FAD6E >J 9FD32?5 @C FAD6E >J 49:=5C6? @C >J >2>2]”k^Am
kAm$96 42==65 96C 9FD32?5[ 3FE 96 5:5?’E 2?DH6C[ D@ ?6IE D96 42==65 96C >@E96C H9@ 2D<65 :7 D96 ?66565 E@ 4@>6 2?5 86E 96C] (9:E2<6C E@=5 96C ?@[ 3FE 2D<65 96C E@ 8@ E@ E96 9@FD6 E@ 96=A 96C D@? 86E C625J 7@C E96 A9@E@8C2A96C] $@@? 96C 9FD32?5 s2G:5 42==65 324<] qJ E96 E:>6 D96 8@E 9@>6[ >@DE @7 96C 72>:=J H2D E96C6 H2:E:?8 7@C 96C[ 3FE (9:E2<6C 5:5?’E H2?E E@ E6== 96C D@? F?E:= 27E6C E96 A9@E@ D6DD:@?[ 2?5 E96? D96 H2?E65 E96> 2== E@ D:E 5@H? 2?5 962C E96 ?6HD]k^Am
kAm“x H2D D42C65 E@ 562E9[” D96 D2:5] “x 962C5 E96 H@C5 42?46C 2?5 x :>>65:2E6=J E9@F89E 562E9] ‘x’> 8@??2 5:6]’ |J D@? H2D 8C25F2E:?8 7C@> 9:89 D49@@=] |J J@F?86DE 52F89E6C H2D DE:== :? 9:89 D49@@=] qFE >J @?4@=@8:DE 82G6 >6 D@ >F49 A6246 H9:=6 8@:?8 E9C@F89 E96 EC62E>6?ED] x C62==J 925 2 A6246 23@FE :E] x 92G6 2 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 E96 {@C5 H96C6 x 8@E E@ E96 A@:?E E92E x D2:5 x’> ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 5:6] x’> 8@:?8 E@ 36 2C@F?5 96C6 E@ D66 >J 49:=5C6? 8C25F2E6[ 86E >2CC:65 2?5 92G6 49:=5C6?]”k^Am
kAm(9:E2<6C D2:5 96C 5@4E@C E@=5 96C C:89E 2H2J E92E E96 AC@46DD H@F=5 36 `_ A6C46?E >65:42= 2?5 h_ A6C46?E >6?E2=]k^Am
kAm“w6 D2:5[ ‘*@F’G6 8@E E@ 92G6 E96 H:== E@ DFCG:G6 2?5 E96 H:== E@ 7:89E[’” D96 C642==D] “w6 D2:5[ ‘*@F =6E >6 5@ E96 `_ A6C46?E 2?5 J@F 5@ E96 @E96C]’”k^Am
kAmqFE :E H2D?’E H:E9@FE 2 DECF88=6]k^Am
kAmp7E6C E9:?<:?8 D96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 2 =F>A64E@>J[ 5@4E@CD E6DE65 2 4@FA=6 @7 =J>A9 ?@56D 2?5 E@=5 96C E96J 42>6 324< 5:D62D65] %96J H6C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ C6>@G6 @?6 3C62DE[ 3FE 27E6C E2=<:?8 H:E9 96C @=56C 52F89E6C[ H9@ :D :? E96 >65:42= 7:6=5[ (9:E2<6C E@=5 E96 5@4E@C E@ C6>@G6 3@E9 3C62DED] %96J C6>@G65 3@E9 3C62DED 2?5 E96 =J>A9 ?@56D 2?5 D96 3682? 496>@E96C2AJ]k^Am
kAm“x 925 2 E6CC:3=6 C624E:@? E@ >J 496>@[” D96 D2:5] “x 8@E C62==J[ C62==J D:4<] x 42==65 >J 49:=5C6? 2?5 >J 9FD32?5 :?E@ >J 365C@@> 2?5 E@=5 E96> x H2D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 E9:D C2E A@:D@?\\H9:49 :D H92E x 42==65 496>@\\2?J>@C6 2?5 x H@F=5 ;FDE =:G6 2D =@?8 2D E96 8@@5 {@C5 H2?ED >6 E@ =:G6] %96J D2:5[ ‘}@[ J@F’C6 ?@E] *@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 E96 >65:4:?6]’ |J @=56DE 52F89E6C :D :? E96 >65:42= 7:6=5 2?5 D96 D2:5[ ‘}@[ :E’D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ H@C< E92E H2J]’”k^Am
kAm(9:E2<6C 5:5 4@?E:?F6 E@ E2<6 96C >65:4:?6 2?5 D96 7:?2==J >256 :E E9C@F89 496>@]k^Am
kAm}@H D6G6? J62CD =2E6C[ D96 D2JD D96 92D ?@ =:>:E2E:@?D 2?5 5@6D 6G6CJE9:?8 D96 H2?ED E@ 5@] $96 =@G6D 8@:?8 E@ E96 36249 2?5 H:E9 96C 72>:=J =:G:?8 @? y24<D@? {2<6[ E96J 2C6 2=H2JD :? E96 H2E6C @C @? 3@2ED @? E96 H66<6?5D 4@@<:?8 @FE 2?5 36:?8 E@86E96C] %96 72>:=J 2=D@ 2EE6?5D #@4< $AC:?8D r9FC49 :? |:=?6C]k^Am
kAmp ?2E:G6 @7 y24<D@?[ (9:E2<6C H@C<65 `e J62CD 7@C 2? @CE9@5@?E:DE 367@C6 364@>:?8 2 DE2J\2E\9@>6 >@> 27E6C 96C E9:C5 49:=5 H2D 3@C?] (96? 96C D@? DE2CE65 AC6D49@@=[ (9:E2<6C H6?E E@ H@C< 2E 2 49FC49 AC6D49@@= 2?5 E96? =2E6C H@C<65 2E $E2C< t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= H:E9 DA64:2= ?665D 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAmqC62DE 42?46C :D AC6G2=6?E @? (9:E2<6C’D >@E96C’D D:56 @7 E96 72>:=J] p 4@FD:? 2?5 2? 2F?E H6C6 3@E9 5:28?@D65] (9:E2<6C’D 8C2?5>@E96C 925 3C62DE 42?46C 2?5 925 3@E9 3C62DED C6>@G65] %96 42?46C 42>6 324< 2?5 6?565 FA E2<:?8 96C =:76 E9C@F89 96C 3@?6D 2?5 H2D 2=D@ :? 96C 3C2:?]k^Am
kAm(9:E2<6C @?46 E@@< E96 q#prp 3C62DE 42?46C 86?6 E6DE[ 3FE D2JD :E 42>6 324< ?682E:G6] w@H6G6C[ D96 :D 6?4@FC28:?8 96C EH@ 52F89E6CD E@ E2<6 E96 E6DE D96 42==D E96 “p?86=:?2 y@=:6 E6DE]” %96 w@==JH@@5 24EC6DD 925 2 AC6G6?E:G6 >2DE64E@>J H96? 96C q#prp E6DED 42>6 324< A@D:E:G6[ >62?:?8 D96 H@F=5 =:<6=J 92G6 3C62DE 42?46C]k^Am
kAmt?;@J:?8 96C 72>:=J 2?5 6DA64:2==J 96C E9C66 8C2?549:=5C6? 286D c[ ` 2?5 b >@?E9D[ (9:E2<6C D2JD D96 :D E92?<7F=]k^Am
kAm“x 5@ DE:== 92G6 E@ E2<6 %2>@I:76?[” D96 D2:5] “%96J 7:CDE D2:5 7@C 7:G6 J62CD[ 3FE 27E6C >J 7:G6\J62C\>2C<[ E96J D2:5 H6’== 8@ 2?@E96C 7:G6 J62CD] %96C6’D 2 A@DD:3:=:EJ x’== 92G6 E@ E2<6 :E E96 C6DE @7 >J =:76] qFE x 42? 5@ E92E] x 42? E2<6 2 A:== E96 C6DE @7 >J =:76] %96C6 2C6 D@>6 52JD x 5@?’E 766= 8@@5 2?5 >J 3@?6D 9FCE 2 =:EE=6 3:E]]]qFE h_ A6C46?E @7 E96 E:>6 x 766= 8@@5 2?5 x 5@ H92E x H2?E E@ 5@] x’> 3=6DD65 E@ 36 23=6 E@ <66A >J 8C2?549:=5C6?]”k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 2? :?E6CG:6H =2DE H66< 7C@> 96C 9@>6[ (9:E2<6C H2D 3FDJ 7665:?8 E96 323J 2 3@EE=6 2?5 A=2J:?8 H:E9 E96 @E96C EH@ 8C2?549:=5C6?] $96 92D 2 7F== =:76 2?5 2 A@D:E:G6 @FE=@@<]k^Am
kAm“*@F’G6 8@E E@ DE2J A@D:E:G6 2?5 <66A A6@A=6 2C@F?5 J@F H9@ <66A J@F FA=:7E65[” (9:E2<6C D2:5] “$FCC@F?5 J@FCD6=7 H:E9 A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 92AAJ 2?5 7F? 2?5 DFAA@CE:G6 2?5 ECJ E@ DE2J 2D A@D:E:G6 2D J@F 42?]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.