Living With Cancer, Thriving in Life: A Cintas...

Kerri T. is thriving.

In raising her three children.

In her marriage.

In her career at Cintas.

And in a life forever changed by stage four metastatic breast cancer.

"It doesn't slow me down. It doesn't make it so I can't do what I need to do with work, with home, with life," said Kerri.

The now 40-year-old was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, less than a year after having her third child. After 33 rounds of radiation, a mastectomy and four years on a hormone blocking medication, the cancer returned. This time, it spread to her right lung.

She now takes daily oral medication, gets a shot that puts her into medical menopause and receives a monthly immunotherapy injection.

"I think anybody that has been impacted by cancer, directly or indirectly just knows how challenging it is," said Kerri.

While her cancer is treatable, it's not curable. It's why Kerri identifies not as a survivor, but as a thriver, continuing to live fully with cancer. Her diagnosis changed the way she thinks about her life.

"It made me write down a list of things I may or may not get to do and then we can celebrate those when they happen," said Kerri.

Now, she marks the milestones along the way.

Watching all her children go off to kindergarten: ✓

Celebrating her 40th birthday: ✓

Bringing her kids to their first concert: ✓

Traveling to see her favorite band: ✓

Reading 20 books in a year: ✓

Taking a pottery class: ✓

Renovating her kitchen: ✓

"Every little thing can be much more extraordinary now," said James T., Kerri's husband. "Everything's a little bit more of a reason to celebrate."

Kerri's experience is deeply personal, but she also sees how cancer has affected people around her, including fellow Cintas employee-partners, making Cintas' partnership with the American Cancer Society especially meaningful. She and her family attended the 2026 Greater Cincinnati Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, which Cintas is proud to sponsor.

"It's a club you don't want to be part of but the fact that people at Cintas are talking about it and championing around folks like myself who are living with cancer and their families are dealing with cancer in their daily lives, it's pretty important to me," said Kerri.

For Kerri, Cintas' support of ACS recognizes the full lives people continue to lead while living with cancer. A diagnosis may change that life, but it doesn't define it. Kerri is living with cancer. She's also thriving.