NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We're in March, so St. Patrick's Day is coming soon. A big event is going to feature a whole lot of talent. With that talent comes a truly amazing story of an overcomer.
Shoes thundered on the floor at a rehearsal for the Nashville Irish Step Dancers. Maureen Gannon sat in the next room over, surrounded by costumes for an upcoming show.
"It spoke to me," Gannon said, reflecting on her years dancing. "I felt very close to my Irish heritage doing that. Oh, so this picture. It's 1973. We're at a feis, which is an Irish dance competition. I danced with a school in Queens, New York where I grew up from ages 7 to 9."
After some time away from the costume changes, sequins, rhinestones, and true precision of this form of dancing, Gannon returned to this world in her 30s.
"I've been dancing with the Nashville Irish Step Dancers for almost 30 years," she explained. "It gives me such joy dancing with other people. It's a sensation of flying."
The Nashville Irish Step Dancers have a big show every year. For last year's, Gannon decided to sing but not dance. She was recovering from surgery related to Crohn's Disease.
"I had eight inches of intestines removed in February of 2025," she said.
Then came a date that changed her life; March 7, 2025.
"That's the day I found out I had breast cancer," Gannon said.
Gannon, whose titles include dean for faculty development at Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine, began chemo and radiation at Vanderbilt Health.
There was a question if she could ever return to the dancing that'd been part of her life for so long.
"I had to stop cause I got this thing called chemo legs," Gannon explained. "Your legs just feel really heavy."
Gannon finished her treatments in August and is still waiting to hear if she's in remission. In these past months, she's been working very hard with the Nashville Irish Step Dancers. Gannon has returned to dancing.
Gannon was taking part in rehearsals for the Celtic Rhythms on Fire show. It's being held at the Capitol Theatre in Lebanon the night of March 7. It's one year to the day that Gannon was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Gannon is singing some numbers and dancing in nine. She's still going at 61.
"If there's something you are passionate about, I think getting that cancer diagnosis doesn't mean you have to give it up," Gannon said.
"I've known some of you for a long time, some of you I haven't known as long," Gannon said, speaking to the group in rehearsals. "Your encouragement, your love, your support has meant so much to me and made that burden and that challenge I was going through last year a lot lighter. I just want to thank you all, and I'm just thrilled to be dancing with you all again this year."
For more on the Celtic Rhythms on Fire show, visit here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Here’s a beautiful story of how one mother turned her grief journey into a gathering of gratitude… and organ donation awareness.
Robb Coles highlights a special event organized by Cari Hollis – whose 26-year old son Austin died two years ago. Austin agreed to be an organ donor – and that single gesture saved multiple lives.
Cari reached out to as many recipients she could find – several of whom traveled to Nashville for an emotional celebration in Austin’s honor. One woman – whose life was saved by receiving Austin’s lungs – put it simply: “He’s my angel”.
- Rhori Johnston
