Michelle Hermany greets people with a smile at the U.S. Post Office in Lansford, thankful for each day.

The Tamaqua woman battled cancer - not once, but twice - in the past eight years.

She’s not afraid to kick cancer’s butt, but hopes that’s a battle she never has to fight again.

Hermany has been cancer-free for four years, and is looking forward to year five and beyond.

One of this year’s American Cancer Society Courage Award recipients, her battle began in 2016, when she found a lump on her neck.

Blood work, specialist visits and a biopsy revealed she had T-Cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which is a blood cancer affecting the lymph nodes.

Hermany along with her doctors at Lehigh Valley and University of Pennsylvania hospitals decided on chemotherapy as a treatment course.

She underwent chemo for six months, continuing to work as a mail carrier on the off-weeks from the treatments.

The chemo worked and her cancer went into remission - for about a year.

Then, Hermany found another lump in her neck. This time, it was B-Cell Lymphoma, which is different from the previous cancer, she said.

Her doctors decided on immunotherapy, which bolsters the body’s immune response to fight the cancer.

“That didn’t do much for me,” Hermany said.

The cancer spread to the lymph nodes in her lung, and she developed a cough and her breathing became labored. It also put pressure on her heart, causing it to flutter in a domino effect.

“It was tough,” Hermany said, explaining this was when she was at her lowest point.

A stem cell transplant was the next option, and one she wishes she would have tried from the very beginning.

“That stem cell was a Godsend,” Hermany said.

Doctors admitted her to the hospital and collected white blood cells, which they transformed into supercells that were then put back into her body after rounds of chemo.

“Within a week, I could feel it working,” Hermany said. “I was breathing better. I was able to walk around the hospital.”

After two weeks in the hospital, she had to spend another two weeks near the hospital and HEADstrong Foundation stepped in with free housing.

“I was away from home for one month,” Hermany said. “But (the stem cell transplant) did its job. I’m clear and I’m staying clear.”

Cancer treatments have come so far, she said, and people need to stay positive and hopeful even when the fight is difficult.

“Hope anchors the soul,” Hermany said. “You’ve got to have hope and a positive attitude. One treatment at a time; one day at a time. You have to believe you’re going to beat it.

“I am grateful and thankful for every day I get on this earth,” she said.

Michelle Hermany will receive her Courage Award at 7:25 p.m. Sunday during the Cancer Telethon.