Old Friends Unite Through Cancer Battles

Sharon Balaban, Julie Shrell, and Kerri Aiken Rosenberg graduated from W.T. White High School in three consecutive years.

Their bouts with the same type of cancer were a bit more spread apart, but their individual ordeals produced a combined story — one of strength, endurance, and the importance and power of friendship.

“In riding through ovarian cancer and raising awareness about it, there is definitely strength in numbers,” Sharon said.

The 1978 W.T. White graduate got her diagnosis in May 2021 and, wanting a solid post-surgery plan, contacted Julie, who had been in remission for more than a decade.

“She was my lighthouse, and I held that image in front of me — still do,” Sharon said. 

Having a friend by her side, checking in on her during chemotherapy provided encouragement that Sharon credits with fueling the positive outlook needed to navigate the emotional side and doubts that came with a cancer journey.

Julie (class of 1979) was diagnosed in 2010 and learned she had a harmful genetic mutation that put her and her descendants at higher risk.

“It has always been important to me for my daughters to be aware of their genetics, and I was able to share that with both Sharon, Kerri, and their daughters,” Julie said. “We have a newly found sisterhood.”

Julie also is a part of another sisterhood — the four women who founded the Be the Difference Foundation in 2012.

While many nonprofits focus on early detection and prevention, the foundation aims to give survivors hope — “hope for better treatment options, hope for longer remissions, and ultimately hope for a cure,” according to bethedifferencefoundation.org.

Kerri (class of 1980) had kept up with the two older W.T. White graduates for years before getting cancer.

She and Sharon reconnected in 1995 while working at the Jewish Community Center of Dallas, where their children attended preschool.

Julie had been friends with Kerri’s brother since high school, and the two women grew closer after their brothers died six months apart.

After her diagnosis in 2023, Kerri met Sharon for coffee and a conversation that brought comfort and eased worries about what lay ahead. They even had the same oncologist. 

Kerri credits ongoing encouragement and visits from Julie and Sharon with helping her through surgery for a suspicious mass, a complete hysterectomy, and 18 weeks of chemotherapy.

All three women — now in remission —are looking ahead.

Julie and Sharon hope their experiences can encourage others as they support the work of the Be the Difference Foundation. 

Kerri, who awaits her first grandchild, is excited to spend time with family and wants to cherish the beauty in every day, because life is a gift.