“My mind just stopped when I first heard my diagnosis. You pause in those moments.”
Leah White’s cancer story started in January 2023 with a sore throat that lingered after a bad cold. But as a 37-year-old first-grade teacher at Harriet Ross Tubman School in Buffalo, NY, there was simply no time to be sick. In addition to teaching, she was raising Dontae — a cousin she had taken legal custody of at age 8, honoring her late mother’s final wishes. She was caring for her father who was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, was a consultant for her online jewelry business, Paparazzi Accessories, and volunteered with a local Girl Scout troop.
After a few weeks of living with intense pain in her throat, she finally called her doctor. “It felt like I was swallowing glass and the cold medication and home remedies weren’t helping,” she recalls. “My doctor did a thorough check and sent me for an ultrasound and imaging. A few days later I got a call from a nurse in her office who said, “Leah, we believe there’s something there and we need a biopsy.’”
The biopsy confirmed that Leah had Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that begins in lymphocytes — specialized white blood cells that are critical to the immune system. Fortunately, with the right therapy, Hodgkin lymphoma is curable in about 85% of patients.
“My mind just stopped when I first heard my diagnosis. You pause in those moments.” Calling Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center became Leah’s priority. “My boyfriend, Bear, had been treated for lymphoma at Roswell Park eight years prior and he was a firm believer that Roswell can achieve the impossible. After his experience, there was no other option in my mind.”
Testing revealed a very rare type of lymphoma
Within a week, Leah met with medical oncologist and hematologist Matthew Cortese, MD, MPH, who specializes in treating patients with lymphoma at Roswell Park. “Dr. Cortese was upfront, stating that I had a tough road ahead but that I would be okay. He recommended I take time off, as working with young children meant increased exposure to germs that could complicate my treatment. But I needed to provide for Dontae and was not able to take time off as I had just started my job. I promised Dr. Cortese I would be careful.”
Because Leah’s cancer was close to her breast, she had an additional biopsy, which revealed a very rare cancer type called nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL). It occurs in about 5% of Hodgkin lymphoma cases. Leah needed eight sessions of chemotherapy.
“There were ups and downs,” says Leah. “I experienced aches, pains, fluctuating weight, skin color changes and food tasted metallic. There’s a reason the chemo I was treated with is often called the Red Devil. Through it all, I had faith in God to bring me through it with victory!”
Losing her hair was a difficult challenge
“The day I had my head shaved solidified my new reality,” recalls Leah. “Thank God for my godson who brought me a balloon, gifts, warm hugs and words that gave me comfort. People reassured me my hair would grow back, but when I looked in the mirror, I had a daily reminder that this was really happening.”
Concerned that her hair loss would scare her students, Leah visited Roswell Park’s New Era Cap Foundation Elevate Salon. “I was grateful for the welcoming reassurance of the ladies there as well as my cousin in Detroit who saw me struggling and took me shopping to find wigs that reflected my playful personality.”
“I didn't want sympathy and I didn’t want to scare my students,” recalls Leah. “I just let the kids know that Miss White was a little sick, but I never used the C word because I didn't want to scare anyone.”
While Leah had her class’ best interest in mind, her students often provided the best medicine. “I’d come to class right after a chemo session feeling weak and lethargic and my first graders were so well behaved and proud to show me they could be helpful. They made me cards and kept me going.”
Admiration for Leah extended beyond her students. In June 2025, Leah was awarded the Touchdown for Teachers Award, sponsored by M&T Bank and the Buffalo Bills. Selected from 2,600 nominees as the Grand Prize winner, Leah received a $5,000 award to benefit her school.
Six months after her original diagnosis and three weeks after her final chemotherapy treatment, Leah received news that she was cancer-free and in remission. Her energy levels started to return, and her hair started to grow. Life continued with challenges; her father passed away shortly after she entered remission and boyfriend Bear was diagnosed with lymphoma a second time and needed a bone marrow transplant. With renewed energy, Leah cared for her students, supported Bear during his hospitalization, organized a fundraiser for his treatment and helped Dontae with his busy academic and sports schedules.
Why Roswell Park for lymphoma treatment?
Lymphoma is not just one disease, but has more than 90 different subtypes that require specific diagnostic expertise and experience with the latest nuanced treatment approaches.
Her advice to other patients
Give yourself grace. Give your body time. “Being such a caretaker before I got cancer, I learned to slow down and focus on myself.” Stay connected to your community. “Bear, friends and my cousin would often join me for doctor’s appointments, helping me absorb information or keeping me laughing during treatments.”
Leah heaps praise on the Roswell Park staff who helped her feel especially comforted on difficult days. “Everyone greeted me with welcoming arms and a friendly smile, from the front door greeters to the nurses who were ready with the cold Coca-Cola and Lorna Doone cookies I was craving. I felt seen and heard by the people at Roswell who brought light into my dark tunnel.”
Now a proud fourth-grade teacher at Highgate Heights Elementary School, Leah is living life to her fullest. “I'm cherishing the people God has placed around me. I consider it a blessing to stand in front of my classroom, shaping young minds every day and encouraging students to grow, believe and dream.”
Leah remains a current patient at Roswell Park, where she is checked semi-annually. “I hope my story will inspire someone to schedule their visit to Roswell, support cancer research, or simply continue to make meaningful contributions to the world. No act of kindness, no effort and no impact is ever too small to matter.”
Editor’s Note: Cancer patient outcomes and experiences may vary, even for those with the same type of cancer. An individual patient’s story should not be used as a prediction of how another patient will respond to treatment. Roswell Park is transparent about the survival rates of our patients as compared to national standards, and provides this information, when available, within the cancer type sections of this website.
