'My goal was simply to live': BPS interim superintendent shares her story during Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Many know Dr. Ebony Prohet Bullock as the interim superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools, a leader focused on supporting educators, students and families. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she is sharing a more personal side of her story, one marked by fear, resilience and hope.

My goal was simply to live ... to survive, live for my three children and husband, Bullock said.

Her breast cancer diagnosis brought a new challenge to a life already filled with professional responsibilities and family commitments. But Bullock said her experience has also shaped how she leads and how she responds to the needs of the community she serves.

As a leader now, it has really helped me to be open to hear the kind of help that my community needs and to be the best I can to offer that kind of help, she said.

Bullock was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in June 2023. She said doctors discovered multiple lesions and cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes, upgrading her diagnosis to stage 3 following surgery.

Even while facing treatment, Bullock was determined to reach important personal and professional milestones.

I asked my doctor, I needed time, I needed to graduate with my doctorate, Bullock said. And I wanted to make sure my daughter had a graduation that was around breast cancer, so we kept it a secret.

Bullock underwent a lumpectomy in August 2023 and began radiation in October. She also underwent chemotherapy as part of an aggressive course of treatment.

Throughout her journey, her husband and three children remained a central source of motivation.

WATCH: BPS interim superintendent shares her story during Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Bullock said the experience also taught her family, friends and co-workers an important lesson about supporting someone with cancer: A diagnosis does not change a person's identity or diminish who they are.

I think what my husband and my family and co-workers learned is breast cancer doesn't make your loved one be less than who they are, she said. They are still intelligent and still wonderful and still have that magic, and to treat them like that.

Bullock said her cancer is now undetectable, but she continues to undergo regular testing and medical follow-up. The experience of living with cancer and the uncertainty that can accompany follow-up care remain part of her journey.

It is kind of hard to struggle with and to say I am still a cancer patient, but we are striving for those five years, and I know I will be just fine, she said.

Despite the challenges, Bullock wants others facing a diagnosis to know that hope remains possible.

There is joy on the other side of the journey, she said.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bullock is encouraging people not to let fear keep them from seeking screening or medical care. She acknowledged that waiting for test results can be frightening, but said advances in treatment and technology offer reasons for hope.

Sometimes we're so worried about what the results may say that we don't focus on, even if the results say something scary, the journey is amazing. The technology is amazing. Breast cancer is survivable. It really is, she said.

By sharing her experience, Bullock hopes to encourage others in Buffalo and beyond to prioritize their breast health, seek medical guidance and support loved ones navigating the disease.

For Bullock, the story extends beyond her role as an educator and public leader. It is also about family, perseverance and using her own experience to help others feel less alone.