MILWAUKEE — For 36 years, Rachelle Gardner has taught in Milwaukee Public Schools, and spent the last ten years teaching students with visual impairments.
Gardner was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three years ago after getting checked out for a skin rash and other symptoms.
"About a day later they called me and told me the news, that I have stage one pancreatic cancer. That hit pretty hard," Gardner said.
She continued teaching throughout her treatment, saying her students helped carry her through.
"They brought me a lot of joy, and it helped me forget," Gardner said.
Gardner was briefly in remission, but in April 2025, the cancer returned as stage four.
"I thought we were going to lose her. I really did," said Tom Perlongo, Gardner's fiancé of more than a decade.
After trying chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical treatment, Gardner learned about a non-FDA approved pill called Daraxonrasib.
"I was just praying... because it seemed like the only thing there was an option of was to get on a medication that was in trial, or to let cancer take over," Gardner said.
She did not let that happen.
Just over a week ago, Gardner took her first dose at City of Hope Cancer Center, at the Zion, Illinois location, through their Expanded Access Program. Dr. Ajaz Kahn is part of the oncology team treating her.
"Now we can offer hope in a sense of improving response rates and survival times, which has been unprecedented in this disease," Kahn said.
Gardner said she hopes her story reaches others facing a similar diagnosis.
"I want to give people who have cancer hope. Especially pancreatic cancer, when you initially find out you have that, you think I'm going to die in a few months, Gardner said. "You can fight it and keep trying and keep asking more questions."
Gardner is also looking ahead to next month, when she plans to return to the classroom for the new school year.
"They just make me so happy, just to see the smiles on their faces," Gardner said. "It's very rewarding, and it makes me forget about different things and what I'm going through in life."
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