Greensburg, IN – October 30, 2025, When Nicole Niese, a Special Education Teacher at Greensburg Elementary School, asked her coworkers to participate in a fundraiser, she hoped to make a small difference. What happened next proved just how generous her school family could be.
On October 29, as part of Countywide Pink Out Day, staff at Greensburg Community Schools were encouraged by Nicole and the Administrative team to wear jeans and pink in support of the Hospital Foundation of Decatur County’s Pink Ribbon Fund, a program that helps provide mammograms and breast health services to those in need. Each staff member could choose how much they wanted to donate. By the end of the day, they had raised $657.
“All of our administrators were on board right away,” Nicole said. “Everyone wanted to help.”
For Nicole, this cause is deeply personal. She’s a breast cancer survivor of two and a half years, and she knows firsthand the importance of early detection.
“This screening saved my life,” Nicole shared. “I didn’t end up needing help from the Pink Ribbon Fund myself, but I know so many people who skip their mammograms because they don’t have insurance or can’t afford it. I just wanted to do more to help others get the care they need, just like I did.”
Nicole’s journey began when she thought she felt something during a self-check. Trusting her instincts, she called Decatur County Memorial Hospital (DCMH) right away to schedule a mammogram.
She’s known Jessica Hunter, Lead Mammography Technologist at DCMH, since they were younger. “I was so worried it was something serious,” Nicole recalled. “But Jess and Dr. Hasson were amazing. They got me in so quickly, did the mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy, everything moved fast. When they confirmed it was cancer, they already had a plan.”
Nicole underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and get clear margins, followed by radiation treatments at another local hospital. She also received injections and ongoing medication through DCMH Cancer Care, working closely with the team to find what worked best for her.
“My cancer was hormone-driven,” Nicole explained. “They’ve put me into a medically induced menopause to keep it from coming back. I’m on maintenance medication now and feeling great. I just live every day!”
The treatment is used in hormone-positive breast cancers, and it works by blocking the hormone receptors from aiding in the growth of cancer and/or from the cancer recurring.
Through it all, Nicole’s optimism never wavered. “I never, ever felt like it wasn’t going to be okay,” she said. “I knew I was going to get through it. I had such a huge support group, at home, at school, everywhere. I told everyone right away and asked for a little grace while I tried to be myself through it.”
Her colleagues rallied around her in the most heartwarming way. The elementary staff wore ‘Support Squad’ shirts and even decorated her classroom in pink. Nicole only missed two days of work throughout her entire treatment.
“It was tiring and daunting sometimes,” she said with a smile. “But the kids needed me there.”
Her openness has inspired others, too. Jessica Hunter shared that several patients have told her, “Nicole told me to come get my mammogram, so that’s why I’m here.”
Nicole’s message is simple but powerful:
“It is so important for everyone to get their mammogram and not feel bad if they need to ask for help.”
When she reflects on her care, Nicole is quick to praise Decatur County Memorial Hospital.
“DCMH may seem like a small-town hospital, but I got the most incredible cancer care I could’ve ever asked for,” she said. “It was amazing. Between Jess, Dr. Hasson, the ladies on the Cancer Care floor, and the Laboratory team, everyone was amazing. I am grateful for all of them.”
Nicole’s story is one of strength, gratitude, and giving back. She turned her own experience into an opportunity to help others, proof that compassion can ripple through a community and save lives, one mammogram at a time.
Photo L to R: Brandi Rigby, Taylor Ziegler, Nicole Niese, Mandy Lohrum, Jessica Hunter
