DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Mary Diggs-Garris has a lot to be proud of, a beautiful family, a successful teaching career, and a recently earned Doctorate in Education. She also has a lot to be thankful for.
“I’ve always been very appreciative of everything,” she explained. “When you have something like that happen so young, you learn to appreciate literally everything.”
Diggs-Garris was just three years old when doctors diagnosed her with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer affecting the eye. While she hardly remembers the diagnosis and treatment, her mother recalls it vividly.
“It was very traumatic,” noted Nancy Chambers. “When we chose to do radiation, they told us there is a possibility that it would kind of delay her, she would not perform as well academically, basically. That was a hard choice.”
Throughout Diggs-Garris’s illness, the family put their faith in Dr. Edward Buckley, an opthalmologist at Duke, and while she may not remember much from that time, she remembers how much her mom trusted him.