(Photo courtesy of Terry Day)
After Elisabeth Henry was diagnosed with two, unrelated cancers, she had four major surgeries during spring semester of her second year in the WSU pharmacy program, followed by chemotherapy during the summer. University officials suggested she take a year off to get healthy, but she said “I’m not giving up a year of my life to cancer,” and stayed in school.
This year, her fourth and final year in the pharmacy program, she suffered two pulmonary emboli and was rushed “on code” from her home in Colfax to Coeur d’Alene for emergency surgery. Again, Henry refused to put her education on hold, continuing to work in area pharmacies on her fourth-year rotations despite the physically exhausting demands of recovery from her life-threatening illness.
During all of this, Henry remained deeply committed and involved with her family. She is the mother of two and step-mother of three. Her son is developmentally challenged.
On Friday, May 8, Henry graduated on schedule with a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree in ceremonies in Spokane, where she also was honored with a WSU Spokane Chancellor’s Award. The award is bestowed annually on WSU Spokane graduates who exemplify exceptional leadership and service to the campus and community.
