
Beaufort educator’s school family rallied around her on her breast cancer journey
Most people take trips during their summer vacation, and this summer, Riverview Charter School fifth grade teacher Jill Scheper had a blast in London and Scotland.
She and her family traveled to the UK, marveling at the breezy green Highlands and exploring Edinburgh on what was truly a “bucket list” adventure.
Her trip was special, though – she completed breast cancer treatment last year, and the Scheper family had more cause to celebrate than most.
“After everything I’ve been through, we said, ‘Let’s just do it,’” Jill said.
Unexpected birthday news
On her birthday in September 2023, Jill got a mammogram. Something had been feeling off with her body. She couldn’t explain it, she said. Something just didn’t feel right.
Sure enough, after her mammogram, Jill learned that she had breast cancer.
“I was shocked and scared,” she said. “I had all the emotions, all the questions. How bad was it? What stage was it? Was I going to live or was I going to die?”
A wave of questions suddenly loomed over Jill and her family. At first, Jill was told she had stage 0 breast cancer. The treatment for that would just be a mastectomy, but after receiving lab results from MUSC, Jill learned that she had a second, more aggressive kind of cancer, triple negative breast cancer.
“I went from thinking that I was going to have no chemotherapy to learning then that I was going to have to go through 16 rounds of it,” she remembered.
Strength during 16 rounds
Jill’s treatment journey can be characterized by a handful of numbers, such as 52, which is how old she turned the day that she first learned her diagnosis.
Or maybe the number 4 – how many kids she has, and who were instrumental in supporting her throughout her treatment.
Even the number 25 was meaningful: it’s how long Jill has been a teacher, a passion that gave her strength to keep moving forward.
The number 16 though, was huge. A treatment with 16 rounds of chemotherapy felt like “a marathon,” Jill said, and was probably the hardest part overall of her journey.
“It felt never-ending and that was really tough,” she said. “By about the 10th or 11th round, you’re just exhausted – but then you still have five or six more rounds to go.”
Following her chemotherapy treatments, she also underwent a year of immunotherapy with Keytruda. One of the keys keeping her strong along the way was her dedication to educating herself about all the treatments that are out there for her type of cancer.
Jill said she also became “a stickler” for her health and her diet, keeping her body as resilient as possible.
“There is just so much to learn; I feel like I just got my PhD. It’s like learning a whole other language,” Jill laughed. “I would Google constantly, but researched in other ways, too. I read books, articles, and talked to various cancer survivors, as well as doctors and nurses. I researched everything the doctors told me.”
Support from all sides
From the receptionists to the nurses to her oncologist, Jill said she had exemplary care at Beaufort Memorial.
One of her nurses, Annie Loughlin, RN, BSN, played such a pivotal role in Jill’s care that she nominated her for a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, a prestigious recognition for nursing excellence. Annie received her award in February.
“She was there for me each and every time,” Jill remembered. “She took the time to explain everything to me, every little detail. I wanted to give up, but she is one of the reasons I stayed in chemo. She’s an earth angel.”
Jill’s brother-in-law, Kit, is a web designer who designed a website for a cold cap company. He pointed Jill toward that option, and Loughlin navigated Jill through the labor-intensive process of using a cooling cap during her treatments, allowing her to keep most of her hair.
Another positive presence was Beaufort Memorial oncology social worker Kianna Brown, LMSW, and Dr. Eric Turner, a board-certified, fellowship-trained oncologist with Beaufort Memorial Oncology Specialists.
Brown’s compassion and the care Dr. Turner took to make Jill feel seen, heard and supported were vital to her and her family.
“Throughout Jill’s treatment, which included systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy as well as multiple surgeries, she continued to fight through the side effects nand maintain a very positive attitude, which is so incredibly important when a patient is on their cancer journey,” Dr. Turner said. “Her spirit is commendable, and taking care of her has been a pleasure and a privilege.”
Jill’s support network included her kids Kaitlin, Rachael, Will and Becca, her husband Bill, her sister Laura, her parents Bob and Patti and all of her family and friends, as well as her Beaufort Memorial care team, but it expanded a bit further than that – the entire Riverview Charter School in Beaufort, where Jill teaches fifth grade math, banded together to show their love.
“Every week that I had chemo, the whole school would send me a box of gifts and fun activities,” she recalled. “For 16 weeks, they never let up. They showered me with kindness, love and gifts, and it made me stronger and made me want to fight.”
Those care packages also included notes from her current and former students, some even writing to their teacher from college to show that they were behind her.
“That community was so, so huge, and they gave me the courage to get through 16 rounds,” she said. “I felt like they were all cheering me on through every mile. I wouldn’t have been able to get through it without them.”
‘Put yourself as a priority’
The Columbia native was able to retreat to her family’s house in the mountains during her chemo and was able to take the year off teaching. She committed herself to daily prayer and journaling, keeping her faith front and center.
Jill was able to devote all her time to her treatment, health and recovery. That’s something she wants to emphasize: the importance of putting yourself first.
“You have the power and the control over your body and doing all the healthy things to take care of yourself,” she said. “Put yourself as a priority. It’s OK to put yourself as a priority.”
She also hopes to break down the stigma around a breast cancer diagnosis and emphasize that it’s OK to lean on your support system. No one should go through their journey alone.
“There are women who are scared to say anything or who think it’s embarrassing when they receive their diagnosis,” Jill said. “I don’t want women to feel like they need to hide it. I don’t want there to be a stigma.”
Since her diagnosis, Jill has spoken to countless women who have gone through the same things she has. That community and that support is there, she said.
“Even if you don’t have a family to go to, that community is ready to support you,” she added. “Reach out.”

Support for Your Journey
Are you looking for support for yourself or a loved one with breast cancer?
Attend our Breast Cancer Support Group and meet others who can relate to what you’re going through.