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DURHAM, NC (WNCN) — Mary Diggs-Garris has a lot to be proud of, a beautiful family, a successful teaching career, and a newly earned Doctorate in Education. He also has a lot to be thankful for.
“I’ve always been very appreciative of everything,” he explained. “When you have something like that happen at a young age, you learn to appreciate literally everything.”
Diggs-Garris was just three years old when doctors diagnosed her with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer that affects the eye. Although she has no recollection of the diagnosis and treatment, her mother remembers it well.
“It was very traumatic,” said Nancy Chambers. “When we chose to do radiation, they told us that it might slow him down, he wouldn’t do well academically. It was a difficult choice.”
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Throughout Diggs-Garris’ illness, the family put their faith in Dr. Edward Buckley, an ophthalmologist at Duke, and while he may not remember much from that time, he does remember how much his mother trusted him.
“I remember him saying, ‘Whatever Dr. Buckley tells us to do, we’re going to do,'” she said through tears.
Now, nearly 30 years after he began treating Diggs-Garris, Buckley is chairman of Duke’s Department of Ophthalmology. Recently he was surprised to find an email in his inbox with the subject line, “You saved my life in 1995.”
The email is from Diggs-Garris and reads, in part, “Thank you forever for you. I know I wasn’t expected to do much because of the radiation and all, but yesterday I got my Doctorate in Education. And I’m a doctorate public school teacher in NC — Thanks for not giving up!
“It was at the end of a long day,” Buckley recalled. “You read that kind of note, and you know what, you remember why you got into medicine and why you love what you do.”
Diggs-Garris believes that her success, and ability to adapt, can be a lesson for student teachers. Although he lost the sight in one eye, he learned to adapt to a different way of seeing the world, and achieved success in school, sports, and all aspects of life.
He said his mother always believed in his abilities.
“I don’t think I could have made it this far without my Mom all the way,” she said. “He always pushed me to be my best self. He always reminded me, ‘You are chosen; you are special; you can do this.’
When he returned to Duke for a follow-up appointment, as a child, he remembered how Dr. Buckley was impressed by his skills, and even years later, wanted to share his success with him.
“Maybe he wouldn’t have guessed, I didn’t just get a Bachelor’s Degree, I got a Masters, I got a Doctorate in Education.”
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