Cancer is a diagnosis that no one ever wants, but it's a reality for many people.
Battling the disease isn’t easy, but that's not stopping one dance Central Georgia instructor.
Recital night is a big night, not only for the dancers on stage, but for their teachers, too.
“They're looking forward to this show,” dance teacher Kim Pitman said. “They don’t want to let us down and we don’t want to let them down. We want to put on a good show and that is our goal.”
For the past few months, getting to the big day hasn't been easy for Pitman.
“It’s been a little different because I was diagnosed with cancer in December,” Pitman said.
She says she stayed committed to her students through every rehearsal while getting treatment, including chemotherapy. Pitman says she did it with help of her business partner and best friend, Terri Waits.
“She said, 'You know, I’m probably going to lose my hair,' and I said, 'Well, I'm going to shave my head also,' and so we did,” Waits said.
Pitman says her early diagnosis was essential, but keeping her everyday life as normal as possible has made the battle easier.
“I think that’s helped me,” Pitman said. “If I keep moving, the kids keep me young at heart. They keep me positive, and that’s what it’s all about.”
While she says sometimes she had to change her teaching style by taking a few more breaks or teaching from a chair, her students kept growing.
“It was very unexpected, but we made it work,” Pitman said.
Now she says it's their time to shine, and she can't wait to see the final product.
“The show must go on,” cancer diagnosis or not.