Human Right and Equity Resources

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

“The second most common  type of Breast Cancer in women  

I still remember getting that call this spring. My head was spinning. Was this really happening? I showed no symptoms at all, no lump to be felt.  Went in for my yearly mammogram in March, and one test led to another. By the end of April, I got the call. It has been a whirlwind of a spring and summer. Trying to deal with the fight of my life, yet trying to live my normal life.  

I’m not looking for sympathy, but I want every woman out there, daughters, sisters, mothers, aunts, nieces, friends, friends of friends, to PLEASE go get your mammograms. I got mine done every year.  Early detection is so important.  I never missed a year.  Because of that, we caught it early. Stage 1, I still needed a DOUBLE MASTECTOMY, had it this summer, but, by the Grace of God and because we got it early before it could spread, I did NOT need radiation or chemo.  I will be on medication for 5-10 years, but it could have been so much worse.  My Oncologist told me that if I had skipped a year, this would have been a totally different story.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I will try to post something every day to hopefully get the word out to as many women as possible. Every year, 55100 women get diagnosed with Breast Cancer; this year, I was one of them.  

Please get your mammograms.”

Breast Cancer

In 2006, I was sitting on the jumpseat with a fellow Newark-based flight attendant,  who has since retired. She opened up to me about her journey through breast cancer treatments.

I confided that I had recently felt a lump in my right breast. Roz asked if she could feel it. I was hesitant, but I trusted her. After checking, she looked at me and said, “I think you should see a doctor right away.”

When we landed in EWR, I went straight to my doctor’s office without an appointment. I walked into the crowded waiting room and asked if the doctor could just take a moment to feel the lump. The nurse brought me back immediately, and the doctor confirmed that I needed a biopsy. Within days, the results showed breast cancer.

Because of Roz, I caught it in time. Within a month, I had surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Over the years, I’ve had additional surgeries, but I’m grateful to say I am cancer-free.

I often thank Roz for saving my life that day. This is the magic of flight attendant friendships: the honesty, the courage, and the support we share on the jumpseat.

Never underestimate the power of jumpseat therapy.

Paget’s disease of the nipple and DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ)

“I was 30 in 2006 — I’d been flying for nearly a decade, and I was a mother of three: two preschoolers and an infant, still nursing. One day, a spot appeared on my breast from Nursing and refused to heal. Doctors dismissed it — “just a clogged duct.” But something inside me knew otherwise. I trusted that inner voice. I sought a second opinion at Houston’s medical mecca, TX Women’s. Almost immediately, the diagnosis came: Paget’s disease of the nipple and DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ). Paget’s is rare — just 1–4 % of breast cancers — and that visible change likely saved me from a much more advanced cancer that might otherwise have remained hidden.

From 2006 to 2007, I endured seven reconstruction surgeries: A double mastectomy, a Sentinel node biopsy, Tissue expanders, Nipple reconstruction, and two scar revisions. All while life moved forward around me. Between surgeries, something deeper was unfolding. Shortly after diagnosis, I found myself a single mom. 

Cancer has a way of stripping illusions — it forces you to see what’s real. It can fracture relationships, but it can also clarify their truth. It can cloud the path you’re on, and then shine a light on your future direction. I met the love of my life in 2007, at a time when I certainly was not looking for him. He was there. The cancer diagnosis and its aftermath experience changed me at the core. 

I learned to trust myself, follow my inner voice, and preserve my energy for what’s genuine. I stopped investing in toxic dynamics. I love freely, live with purpose, and I treasure each day. Now, my purpose is clear: to love my family fiercely, advocate for flight attendants, and honor life in all its rawness. I fight for flight attendants that I represent with the same devotion I fight for my own life — without fear, with conviction, and with heart.

Today, I carry three legacies: My incredibly strong and resilient children, who are now young adults, along with my husband, who helped raise them as his own. Breast cancer awareness — especially for rare forms like Paget’s. An unwavering commitment to embracing life — not just surviving it, but fighting forward and lifting others, one precious day at a time. My hope is that my story emboldens you to hear your own voice — and fight for it.”

Stage 1 Breast Cancer Survivor

I found out I had breast cancer on a layover, in SFO, July 4, 2000. I was 33 years old and supposed to head home to New York where I was based, when I felt a pea-sized lump. I knew my body, and I knew I had to get this looked at. My friends encouraged me to go right away to get checked by a physician and get help, so I went the very next day. I was seen by a non-routine doctor I had never been to before, who indicated to me that this was most likely a small cyst due to my age and other factors. I happened to go to my amazing hairdresser later, now a very close friend, who made calls on my behalf and got me appointments into oncology immediately at Beth Israel Hospital, pushing me to investigate further what I found. 

Dr. Peterson found cancer cells in my biopsy on July 10. I was immediately in shock and upset, alone at a hospital to process this information. While I was in the hospital and continued going through testing, the doctor called my friend to come to the hospital to be with me during more testing, and when I was told officially, I had breast cancer. A pea-sized mass I knew was wrong. A mastectomy was suggested, and I thank God my friend was with me to help me schedule my next steps while I was upset and crying, I couldn't have done this alone. I was healthy, worked out, ate well, and was young; I never thought this would happen to me. I thought I had been given a death sentence, but I was not alone and knew I would fight this and get through this. I was the AFA Vice President of the JFK base at the time, and President Greg Davidowich played a crucial role in connecting me with the help I needed from my AFA brothers and sisters to survive this disease. I am genuinely grateful to him. 

By July 18, I was getting surgery, just 2 weeks after I had found a lump. To date, I have had six surgeries, including reconstructions, sometimes as long as 9 hours long.

I turned this situation into a positive in my life. I talk to anyone I can about this and share my journey with everybody so they know to get their mammograms and stay vigilant, checking their body. I live with my scars, and my husband has been by my side, calling them my battle scars, and I won the battle.

Written by Rachel Rodriguez

Mary Ellen O’Neill, a EWR-based United Flight Attendant, devoted mother, and dear friend, passed away on August 15, 2025 after a courageous five-year battle with Stage 4 breast cancer.

Mary Ellen was a pillar of strength who faced any obstacle with grace and determination. All the while navigating her own journey, she gave selflessly to others through her work with the Bosom Buddies of New Jersey based in her hometown of Cranford, NJ. Mary Ellen was an active member of her community spending her time volunteering for her boys’ schools, The Union County Daughters of Ireland and various other charitable organizations. 

Mary Ellen’s two wonderful sons, Liam and Fin, were and continue to be sources of joy, perseverance and love. To her friends and colleagues at United, she would become that best friend who always had time to listen or help. She was a source of joy & laughter on long flights, and a reminder of what it means to live fully.

Mary Ellen’s legacy is one of courage, compassion, and community. And if she could leave us with one last message, it would be this:

“One Day at a Time.” 

Fly high, Mary Ellen. You will be deeply missed, always remembered, and forever loved. 

“No one fights alone.”