With everything going on amid the coronavirus pandemic, here’s a little bit of good news: Kate Schneider, an Early Childhood special education speech-language pathologist, is now cancer-free and doing well.

On Dec. 31, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 39 weeks pregnant.

“2020 brought aggressive chemotherapy and radical surgeries while raising a newborn in a global pandemic,” she wrote in an email. “I am now, humbly and gratefully, CANCER-FREE.”

October is breast cancer awareness month and the 29-year-old said her Pattonville school family was incredible to her.

“They threw me a parade, helped me lift my daughter when I was not allowed to for 4 weeks, and supported me through other gifts and encouragement.” 

One example is that the Early Childhood staff wore pink at work last year on her chemo days, including on Jan. 29 which was her second of 20 chemotherapies and her birthday.

Schneider, who also has roots working at Parkwood, Remington and Drummond, started this school year back at work full-time, hitting the ground running. 

“I am the VilleMade SLP this year, learning how to do virtual therapy with our youngest population (and I feel it's going well!),” she wrote. “I feel blessed to be back helping contribute to the AWESOME work Early Childhood does for our youngest students with special needs and their peers.”

(Photos: Staff group photo taken on Jan. 29; Schneider’s selfie is from her first day of school in August; Schneider holds her daughter.)