LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to honor survivors, fighters, and the loved ones who stand beside them.
For one Lubbock teacher, that fight started 17 years ago.
Kimberlee Wilkins was 37 when she found a lump in her breast in 2008. A few months later, doctors confirmed it was stage three breast cancer.
At the time, Wilkins was teaching and coaching in Plains while raising her young children with her husband, who was also a coach.
While undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, she never stopped showing up for her students.
“My husband and I told them that we’re a family of faith and we been praying about this. We knew it was a possibility and so we knew that God had it,” Wilkins said.
She credits her family, her faith, and her community for getting her through the hardest days, from neighbors dropping off meals to friends helping with her kids.
Today, Wilkins works at Trinity Christian Schools as the Student Success Coordinator and assistant golf coach. She’s also using her journey to support others who are newly diagnosed.
“It brings me great joy to know that I’m on that side of it,” she said.
Her message during Breast Cancer Awareness Month is simple: Know your body, trust your instincts, and never hesitate to get checked.
“I look at women, who just got diagnosed with breast cancer and I say, ‘I’m sorry I’m having to welcome you into this sisterhood but we’re right here together to welcome you.’”
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