By Jim Muir

In almost every way the 2018-19 school year got off to a normal start at Sesser-Valier School District.

As always, kindergarten students and parents were apprehensive and nervous about the start of a new adventure, students moving up a grade were excited to learn from new teachers and new experiences and senior students had a little extra spring in their step as they began their final year of high school. Much like other schools, fall activities including Homecoming, were quickly in full swing and the Red Devils football team got off to a quick start in their annual quest to make the playoffs.

However, one thing that was vastly different this school year at S-V was the mobilization of a growing group of good-hearted-people, warriors of love and concern in every age and size who adopted the name “Kristie’s Army.”

The focal point of this army, now more than 1,100 people strong, is Kristie (Kelly) Spotanski, a popular kindergarten teacher who is currently waging the battle of her life. Spotanski’s story is one of light after darkness, hope after despair and the joy of living in Smalltown, USA.

The 49-year-old Spotanski is a 1987 graduate of Sesser-Valier High School and returned to her alma mater to teach kindergarten more than a dozen years ago. She and her husband Wayne are the parents of four children, Vanessa Leek, Adreanna Harvey, Jeremy Spotanski and Kiley Kelly. The couple also have five grandchildren, Presleigh, Hendrix, Montgomery June, Lennox and Maverick.

Spotanski said the journey that brought her into the war she is currently fighting began the same way that it has for many women. She said she has always been faithful about going for annual mammograms and dutifully went in August 2017 where she got a clean slate.

“Everything was fine and I was scheduled again for August 2018,” she said. “But, in April 2018 I started having sharp pains in the breast area so I made an appointment with my doctor. Nothing showed up but I started having some concerns.”

Only a few weeks later, in early June, Spotanski noticed some swelling in her armpit area.

“I didn’t know the specifics yet,” Spotanski said. “But I knew, I just knew what it was.”

Spotanski’s fear and concern became a reality when she was diagnosed with breast cancer – triple negative, Stage 2, 3-B to be exact. She said the tumor had gone from nothing in April to six centimeters in June – a span of less than two months.

“It was all just a blur for a little while, I remember them saying that the number “3” in the diagnosis was the worst cancer cells you can have,” she said. “After I had some silent tears I just had something well-up inside me and say, ‘OK, here’s what I’m facing and I have got to fight this.’ And that’s the way I have approached it.”

The diagnosis of breast cancer on July 2 was the third blow to Spotanski’s family during a four month stretch. On March 15 her 19-year-old nephew, Dylon, was killed in a motorcycle wreck and on March 30 her grandmother, Ellinor, passed away.

“I don’t know why my family is going through this,” said Spotanski. “All we can do is put our trust in God and continue to move forward.”

But, she certainly hasn’t faced it alone.

“When it first started I was very private because I was still trying to deal with breast cancer and I really didn’t have any answers yet. And then my daughter Vanessa started a Facebook page – “Kristie’s Army” and it certainly wasn’t private any more,” she laughed. “At first I was just a little bit uneasy about that, but it has been such a blessing in many ways.”

Spotanski said she has received great support from her husband Wayne, who works as a farmer.

“He has been to every treatment with me,” she said. “We were close before but I really think this has made us closer.”

Spotanski’s parents are Carroll and Nancy Kelly, who both were fixtures in the Sesser-Valier School District for decades. Nancy was a grade school teacher and Carroll served as a teacher, coach and administrator. The S-V football field is named “Carroll Kelly Field.”

Spotanski said telling her parents that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, was one of the most difficult aspects of the health issues she is facing.

“It just killed me to see what it did to them,” she said. “But they have been strong and their faith is solid. They go to my treatments with me and have supported me from the beginning.”

While Spotanski noted that she has gotten great support from her side of the family she has also received equal support from her husband’s family also.

“The Spotanski family has been incredible also,” she said. “My sister-in-law Laura has gone to treatments with me and the entire family has supported us with visits, food, calls and most importantly their prayers.”

“My daughter, Vanessa (Leek) has been amazing,” said Spotanski. Everybody deals with things like this in their own way, and she told me she wanted to start a Facebook page to support me. I never dreamed it would turn out like it has.”

Leek said she realized the overall goodness of people wanting to help only hours after creating the Facebook page.

“Within an hour or so we had 200-300 people like the page,” Leek said. “People just jumped in wanting to help, to do something. It’s brought our family closer together and I think the community of Sesser has gotten closer rallying to help Kristie fight this.”

The kindness and generosity of those who joined Kristie’s Army has renewed Leek’s believe about the overall goodness of people.

“On one hand, knowing the community of Sesser, this is not surprising to me, but given the way the world is these days it really stands out to me that overall people are good and kind and generous,” she said. “We sold nearly 1,100 T-shirts in a community with less than 2,000 people. That’s amazing!”

Amanda Tindall has been friends with Spotanski for more than 20 years and has worked in the same classroom as a kindergarten aide for nearly a decade. Tindall said her longtime friend confided in her about the problems she was having prior to the cancer diagnosis.

“When she told me what was going on I didn’t have a good feeling,” said Tindall. “When she told me later that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer … we just cried together.”

But, the tears were soon replaced by determination and a drive to help, Tindall said.

“I didn’t want to intrude on her family but I wanted to help and do anything I could,” said Tindall who was part of the early few who signed on as Kristie’s Army. “It’s been simply amazing to see the outpouring of support by the entire community.”

Tindall said the current school, without Spotanski, has been “very different.”

“I’ve really missed her at school,” said Tindall. “I’ve worked with her so long that I know what her next move is going to be, I can finish her sentences. Kristie is like a sister to me.”

Spotanski said she is “overwhelmed and humbled” at the outpouring of love and concern that followed as “Kristie’s Army” began to grow.

“I have had people contact me, they send me cards telling me that they are praying for me, they send food to help us,” said Spotanski. “I know I have cancer and that should be the worst thing in the world, but this has been such a blessing to just see the goodness of people. I’ve heard from people I’ve not heard from since grade school and high school. And that makes me fight even harder.”

While she admits she was at first uneasy about the Facebook page,

Spotanski said it has now become something that she has enjoyed and used to reach out to the army of people helping her.

“First, it has given me an opportunity to say, ‘I’m going through treatment and I’m OK,’ and it has also given me the chance to help others, somebody that is scared to go get a mammogram or somebody scared of chemo. It’s not always fun but I want to show people that you don’t give up, ever.”

While the support of her family and community have been overwhelming Spotanski said it’s her faith that has sustained her through her cancer treatment.

“I believe that God gives us a purpose and I have seen God’s hand in this in every way. One of the most difficult aspects is dealing with the mental part of this, because your mind can really get you down,” she said. “My faith has been so important to me through this because I know that God is in control and that has helped me deal with the mental part as well as the physical part. God has a plan already laid out for me and he knows what he’s doing.”

Spotanski was asked to talk about the difference between Kristie Spotanski before cancer and Kristie Spotanski after cancer.

“There’s a world of difference,” she said. “I worried about things that didn’t matter,” she said. “This has put everything in my life in perspective. I have really done some soul-searching and had to re-prioritize things in my life about what is important and what is not. I do not see things in my life or even in the entire world the same these days.”

She said she had planned to work through the cancer treatment but when the doctor asked her what type work she does, the answer was quick and emphatic.

“When I said I was a kindergarten teacher, dealing with a classroom full of five-year-olds all day they said ‘absolutely not.’ That has been difficult, because the people at the school are my family too,” she said.

Spotanski was asked what message she would send if she could speak to all the 1,100-plus members of “Kristie’s Army.”

“First I would give them all a huge hug and say ‘thank you.’ I would tell them to take care of themselves and be aware of their own health,” she said. “I would tell them their love and support has been overwhelming to me and that there really is strength in numbers.”

Spotanski recently completed her ninth treatment and following chemotherapy will face extensive surgery. She said cancer brings you to the realization that life will never, ever be quite the same.

“Everything is different and it always will be,” she said. “The trivial things that seemed to matter so much and take up so much of my time really don’t matter at all. Life has changed forever, but that’s not a bad thing.”

When asked to summarize what the massive turnout of support has meant to her and her family, Spotanski became emotional as her eyes rimmed with tears and she searched for the right words.

“It has just been amazing,” she said. “I said from the beginning that there is nothing special about me, I’m just me. But, the community and the school have certainly made me feel special. I love this community and this community loves me back.”