12-years-ago the Saint Brigid Court was conceptualized by Maggie Cloonan. The criteria that Maggie set for a recipient – was that we would honor a woman who dealing with a chronic illness -- faced the challenges with the Spirit of the Fighting Irish!

Over the past several years four of our recipients have succumbed to their illnesses; two from cancer and two who were sisters with Cystic Fibrosis. I'd like to refer to them as Maggie's girls!

This year was no different – we found another women who mirrored the same criteria and humility exemplified by Saint Brigid. 2009 – Saint Brigid Court recipient is Sister Janet Milan, I.H.M.

Sister was called to be a servant of Christ's people through the Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Her service as a valued primary school educator led her all over the east coast bringing her back to Pittsburgh where she grew up in Hazelwood and has taught for over a decade at Saint Mary of the Mount School in Mount Washington . It's not evident unless you ask – that she was given a cross to bear with Multiple Sclerosis as its primary weight.

When sister was 33 - she was diagnosed with MS. Three months after her diagnosis she was trapped in a wheel chair and faced with the insurmountable devastation of MS. Sister was sent to the Marian Convent. Her symptoms of dizziness – being off balance and numbness lasted. For 18 months – she endured tests – medications – side effects and intense physical therapy. During that time she could not teach in the classroom – but it didn't stop her – from her wheelchair she opted to tutor students. Sister slowly regained her strength – defied the set prognosis and she baffled her doctors by getting up and out of the wheelchair and back to teaching.

In 1992 – sister was hit with another blow – this time it was breast cancer. Coping with the news and still dealing with MS – sister was determined to once again defy the odds. She endured a mastectomy and reconstructive surgeries and when she recuperated – she went back to teaching. Sister would get up and go for her chemotherapy and then she would go and finish her day teaching school. During this time she says that “through the grace of God cancer did not adversely affect her MS.”

Sister is now cancer free. Her regimen to deal with MS is a weekly injection of steroids and daily vitamins. Her ever constant bout with tests is fewer and her life is manageable.

Today – she has a different look at life – it nuances and challenges – she says “that things don't seem so bothersome. In the light of all eternity what difference does it really make?”

The example that sister has set does make a difference because she endured with humility – an unwillingness to give in and exemplifies the true Spirit of the Fighting Irish!