While students are back in school battling the challenges of this school year, one Sigourney student is in a battle of her own. Junior Isabelle Ireland was enjoying her summer vacation and getting prepared for the upcoming school year, when in August she was admitted to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital for dangerously high calcium levels. An ultrasound revealed an 11 centimeter cancerous tumor on her right ovary, also known as Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary Hypercalcemic Type. Ireland heard the disturbing news, but was not panicked, “It was strange. You know I was obviously scared and everything. Getting the news you have cancer, I always thought that would be an awful thing to hear, but it wasn’t as scary as I thought it was. I had peace with that, I knew I’d be ok. The surgery was a little difficult. It was a major abdominal surgery to get it removed, but I knew I’d be ok and I know I’m going to be ok as I continue treatment.”

The Sigourney School District flooded Ireland with get-well cards, uplifting messages, and even a t-shirt fundraiser with all the proceeds going to help her with treatment costs. Ireland has a simple message to share with those who have supported her throughout these difficult times, “There’s always going to be challenges that get thrown at you, you know unexpected things. I’m going through something that might be seen as scary and it’s going to be hard, but I shouldn’t just take everything one day at a time and I think everybody should take each small thing and appreciate everything in your life. Even though there’s a lot of difficult things that happen to us, there’s so many great things that we overlook.” Ireland was recently released from the children’s hospital and is at home beginning her junior year online.