Unbreakable spirit: Surviving breast cancer and thriving with autoimmunity

Michelana Jones Byrd was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. Following a double mastectomy and radiation treatment, she was declared cancer free in 2017.   Jason Futch reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com Michelana Jones Byrd has spent years as a school teacher in the Hamilton County School District. Graduating with a degree in early childhood education after three years of college at Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University), Byrd took the fast track because she wanted to start her career in education before she turned 21. After seeking job opportunities upon graduating, she took a teaching job in October 1990 at North Hamilton Elementary School, where s