TAMPA, Fla. — From not having the strength to open a water bottle to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro—it’s been a remarkable couple of years for Tampa Bay educator Deborah Sickmon.
Sickmon and her team at BayCare Kids visit dozens of schools and resource centers every month throughout Tampa Bay.
“So I’m an educator, I go out into the community, and we teach the community anything related to the health, wellness and safety of children, anywhere from birth to age 19,” said Sickmon, who most recently was teaching a CPR training class at Jefferson High School.
However, during the pandemic, it was Sickmon's own health and wellness that came into question.
“I started noticing some things that didn’t feel right. Stage two breast cancer is what it ended up being, found that out in August of 2020,” said Sickmon.
Thirty-five rounds of radiation and eight months later, Sickmon was declared cancer-free, but that’s when the real challenge began.
“I didn’t realize the hardest part was yet to come, and that was the recovery from the cancer. My body was completely ravaged. I didn’t have the ability to even open a water bottle,” said Sickmon.
So Sickmon channeled her happy place: Africa.
Not only has she volunteered there helping orphaned children at the MaKindu Children’s Center, but her goal was to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. So she combined them into one life-changing fundraiser
“I met these kids over several years, and I knew that my little struggle was nothing compared to their daily struggles, so I thought, 'I’m doing it for these kids, I’m doing it for myself, I have a lot of reasons to make this climb,'” said Sickmon. “I just worked as hard as I could to build my stamina and build my strength.”
Three years after being diagnosed with cancer, Sickmon wasn’t only back on top of her health—she was on top of the world, nearly 20,000 feet up.
“The euphoria is amazing. Getting back down is a little bit easier,” said Sickmon.
Sickmon is now trying to spread that feeling of accomplishment and success in every class she teaches.
“I really want to inspire people that no matter what challenge they face, they don’t have to succumb to that challenge. Dig deep, take one step further to improve, get better, get stronger and try to achieve your goals,” said Sickmon.
