Honoring Dr. Shekinah Elmore's Legacy

Words cannot describe the life and the loss of Dr. Shekinah Elmore. She was a pioneer in global oncology, stellar physician, visionary in humanity, a wife, mother, sister and beloved friend.

As a physician, Dr. Elmore was a tireless advocate for patients given her own personal experiences with cancer and medicine. These experiences informed a career that has centered access, patient experience, and humanity in medicine across her institution, and the world. For the majority of her short career as an attending radiation oncologist, Dr. Elmore was also undergoing cancer treatment. Still, she won several grants, continued her work in Global Health, and won several awards including the Society for Palliative Radiation Oncology’s Rising Star Award and UNC Chapel Hill’s Resident-chosen Teaching Award, continuing to mentor and inspire new faculty and students while on hospice. Her legacy is etched not only in the advancements she contributed to oncology in such a short time but also in the hearts of those she healed and inspired globally. Dr. Elmore ventured into spaces no one dared considered, a true trailblazer. Her dedication to patients went beyond medicine; she offered comfort in their darkest hours and celebrated with them in their triumphs. Her life's work and spirit will continue to be a guiding force, a testament to a life dedicated to healing and hope and putting humanity first. Through her passionate work, Dr. Elmore has left an indelible mark and legacy on humanity, oncology and countless destinies.

As a friend and colleague, Shekinah had an exceptionally unique and intersectional perspective that allowed her an enormous capacity for empathy for others. That empathy, coupled with a sense of purpose, hard work, and exceptional intelligence have made her a brilliant, compassionate friend, a natural leader, and most importantly, a change-maker. Throughout Shekinah's life, we have learned the true meaning of friendship, camaraderie, courage, love, and resilience. She has shown us how to live fully, love deeply, and face challenges with grace. Not to mention, she loved art, music, culture, poetry and found joy in things great and small, no matter the circumstances.

Shekinah was also a gifted writer and speaker. In the last months of her life, she wrote a series of beautiful blog posts about her experiences with multiple cancer diagnoses. Her inspiring works are listed below:

She's worn both a hospital gown & a white coat

The Courage to Live with Radical Uncertainty

The Muffin Question

p53 and Me

On Cancer and Metaphor

The Worst

Most importantly, as a wife and mother, nothing was more important to Shekinah than her 5-year-old son William and her husband Adam, who himself is a selfless, amazing high school English teacher. Her greatest wish as she planned for the future was that her family would have the support and resources that they needed. This GoFundMe page is to directly support her family.