Class of 2020: When she was down, nurses lifted her up, now she will be one

Columbia Falls senior Kimberly Peacock spent a solid year of her high school career battling cancer.

She said her future career path is one of giving back — she plans on being a nurse.

“I had a few that I absolutely loved,” she said.

The daughter of Jim and Heather Peacock, Kimberly was diagnosed with leukemia on July 28, 2017 after she hadn’t been feeling well.

Her treatment started almost immediately, running from early August of 2017 to May 2018, when she underwent a bone marrow transplant, which ultimately saved her life. She went from being a budding high school track and cross country runner to dealing with a host of problems that result from chemotherapy, radiation and the treatment following the bone marrow transplant.

It wasn’t until early 2019 that she started to feel good again, she said in a recent interview.

But despite the toil of the cancer and its treatment, she never wavered with her studies.

Peacock will graduate with a weighted grade point average of 4.125.

She said there were some who said she should take a year off from school, graduate a year later.

“That didn’t sit well with me,” she said. “I was determined to push through it.”

Her parents and family were a big help.

“They were great. They put everything on the line for me. I feel very supported and very loved,” she said.

Peacock will state her studies at the University of Montana in the fall. She said she hopes to return to the Flathead when she graduates and practicing nursing locally. She might even help her father, Jim, do a little coaching.

Jim is the Columbia Falls Cross-Country coach and has led the boys squad to two state titles.

The coronavirus pandemic didn’t affect her as much as most, though she’s still disappointed that school ended early.

She was used to social distancing — she had to practice it for a solid year. The cancer therapies seriously impact the immune system and she had to avoid infections. Even so, pneumonia she contracted after the bone marrow transplant has impacted her lungs permanently.

Today she runs for fun and is cancer free. Outside of checkups, the hospital is no longer home.

Her advice to a young person battling an illness?

“You’re more resilient than you think. Go out and live your life to the fullest. Fight hard and stay positive,” she said. “It helped me get through it.”