Oct. 5, 2023, was a special day. Not only was the sun shining and the air warm, but the Fern Hill community gathered together at the Just a Little Sprinkle Breast Cancer Awareness Walk to show love and support for Fern Hill Elementary's principal, Dr. Natasha Wyatt. 

By all accounts, Wyatt is an outstanding educator and empowering leader. Most recently, she also became a breast cancer survivor.

In December 2021, Wyatt and her family's world turned upside down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At that moment, she knew she had a long road ahead of her, she said, but she didn't lose faith.  

"I was like, this is not going to hold me back," Wyatt said.

She underwent a year of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, followed by hormone therapy.

Wyatt said her support system of family, colleagues and friends lifted her up throughout her journey. She recalled a conversation with first grade teacher, Shavona Wagoner when she first found out about her diagnosis.

Wagoner asked Wyatt what she could do to help her beat cancer. 

"I told her, ‘I need you to make me walk every day.’" Wyatt said. Wyatt's doctor told her that exercise helps with the extreme fatigue people often feel during treatment.

From that day on, the two walked every day. Wagoner encouraged Wyatt to walk a little further each time, and she saw how her strength increased as a result. 

Navigating a tough diagnosis

The name of the “Just a Little Sprinkle” event came from Wyatt needing a way to talk about her diagnosis with her sons. 

"When the doctors found the cancer, they told me it was like sprinkles of sand. They said it was very small, but that the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes," Wyatt said. As she prepared for the aggressive treatment ahead, she thought of her sons. 

"I thought, how do I help them navigate scary words like ‘cancer’ and ‘chemo’?"

She wanted a way to help her sons not fear her diagnosis or treatment. Wyatt and her family began referring to the cancer as 'just a little sprinkle,’ which she says helped.

Wyatt and her family also replaced chemotherapy treatment with the word ‘karate.’ 

"On Fridays, when I would leave for chemo treatment, my boys would say to me "so you're going to karate to kick sprinkle's butt?" Wyatt recalled. 

Replacing these words not only helped her and her family talk about cancer, but also helped them stay positive throughout the stages of treatment.

Driven by a sense to give back

Last year when Wyatt organized the inaugural Just a Little Sprinkle event, she was in the middle of chemotherapy treatment and preparing for surgery. During possibly the hardest part of her journey, she looked outwards at her community and thought about how she could help. 

She saw how many walks there are for breast cancer awareness and wanted to do something for Fern Hill. 

"I wanted to do an event for families, community and my support system to come out and get together," Wyatt said. 

This year's event was bigger in attendance and provided a chance to celebrate, as Wyatt is now cancer-free. Family, friends and community rejoiced, and Wyatt finally felt comfortable sharing her story with Fern Hill families and students. 

She said she looks forward to the future of the Just a Little Sprinkle Awareness Walk and how she can further spread awareness and give back to the community. 

Wyatt credits her strength to persevere and beat cancer to her support system and her faith. She's a positive person who doesn't dwell on what life has thrown at her. 

"I'm just thankful. It's not a ‘why me’ situation. It's more like ‘why not me?’" Wyatt said. "Because I have the capacity to help others".