Human Right and Equity Resources

Triple Negative Breast Cancer

My cancer journey started in 2018. In early July, I went in for my routine mammogram, which was exactly one year from my last one. That day, I was sent in immediately to get an ultrasound. I was told they needed to check something else. Before I left the doctor’s office that day, they had already scheduled a biopsy for the following week. I went for the biopsy as scheduled and left for the weekend with my husband. That same weekend, they called me and told me that they had found cancer and needed me to go back in to do additional testing to find out what kind of cancer it was. 

Unfortunately, I was informed that I had triple negative breast cancer. Triple negative cancer is especially dangerous because there are no drugs that will target that particular type of cancer because they are not sure what feeds the tumor.  I was referred to MDAnderson in Houston, Texas, and although MDAnderson is a major cancer center, the same protocols used there are shared with smaller centers too. I tried to go back to work in August, and on my first trip, I was supposed to return to base around 9 a.m. and on that same day, I had my first appointment at MDAnderson. Unfortunately, the night before, we were delayed, and I was going to land past my appointment time at MDAnderson so I had to call sick downline and deadhead back to base. I knew I was going to get in trouble, but I could not miss my first appointment, and lucky I was online given points, and they were very understanding. I tried to work after that, but with all the testing and treatments, I quickly realized it was not feasible.

The worst part of being diagnosed with cancer, in my opinion, and I’ve heard it from lots of other cancer survivors, is the period of time from diagnosis until the period of time where your treatment begins. Whether it’s surgery, chemo, or radiation, it doesn’t matter, and I think it’s because once the treatment starts, you feel empowered.

From the time you hear the C word till the time the treatment begins is such a time of mind blowing crazy thoughts. Too much time on the Internet, people giving you advice that doesn’t match with your diagnosis, people who mean well telling you that their aunt died of breast cancer. It’s just insane, and I learned pretty quickly that in order to maintain friendships with everyone who cared about me, I was going to have to give people a lot of grace because people that haven’t gone through it don’t know what to say. 

I had my surgery at the end of August 2018. I started chemo in October 2018. I lost my hair within about two weeks after my first treatment. After my second treatment, my chemo ended in March. I took a little bit of time off, and then I started in April with six weeks of radiation in 2019. I did my reconstruction surgery, and just about the time I was ready to come back to work, Covid hit, so I had to stay out for another year because my doctor was not willing to release me back to work. 

Let me just say that my flight attendant family rallied around me. They took me to appointments. They did all the things to help my husband so that he could continue to fly; he’s a flight attendant too.  My advice to somebody with cancer is never to say why me because it’s one in eight women, and I guess the statement should be why not me. The best advice I ever got from a doctor was, “Your attitude is 90% of your cure.”

Early detection SAVES lives!

Early stage 1 Breast Cancer

First of all, you never think it’ll happen to you. I was diagnosed April 1, 2020, after a routine mammogram in Feb 2020. It’s never a good thing to hear the “C” word, but I consider myself lucky for so many reasons. It was the beginning of Covid and that sucked because I had to go to all my treatments, surgeries and appointments alone.

No one, except for patients were allowed in the hospitals. However, had I not gone to my annual mammogram when I did, I don’t know when I would have gone, as they stopped all screenings because of Covid. Who knows how much it would have grown or spread. But they found it so we proceeded with treatment.

I was diagnosed with early-stage 1, so original treatment plan was surgery to remove the tumor, radiation, and 5-10 years of hormone blocking therapy.

Ok not great, but at least no chemo. Well, my surgery to remove the cancer (lumpectomy) revealed that the cancer had spread to all three lymph nodes that they routinely tested. Docs were shocked, because it was caught so early. Lucky Me.

Chemotherapy was now recommended. 5 months total, including the dreaded red devil.

And yes, I would lose my hair. It was a punch in the gut. But I made it through, never got sick, napped a lot and exercised throughout. Wasn’t fun, but got through.

Next up, another surgery to remove the remaining lymph nodes under my left breast to check to see if the chemo did its job. And it did!!! All nodes were clear. After the new year, I had 6 weeks of daily radiation. April I went back to work. It was a hell of year. But, again, I was lucky. Because of Covid, I was able to take company offered leaves and get unemployment.

All I had to focus on was my treatment and getting well. Some people have to juggle all this while working. The CAIC cancer insurance paid out so much. I recommend it to EVERYONE!!!

As hard as that year was, it sucked. But there were some beautiful moments too.

And I learned a lot about myself. I reconnected with friends that I hadn’t seen in years. I became closer to God and my family. I focused on exercise and nutrition during that time, and it helped throughout my treatment and side effects. I continue to focus on my health and fitness with a passion.

If I can offer one bit of advice, it would be to not let Cancer define you. Fight it with everything you have and Focus on YOU!!! Get those annual screenings, because early detection is everything.

Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma

I was diagnosed with cancer the first time at the young age of 33. I did not know of anyone else in my family with cancer and thought that I was a young, healthy woman. I was starting a new career as a Special Ed teacher and I was a single mom with a 3-year old daughter.

I felt a lump in my right breast as I was showering one morning in April of 1996. I had 2 mammograms, an ultrasound and finally a biopsy (at my request) over the course of 6 months. I was called into the surgeons office for the result of the biopsy on October 2, 1996 and heard the words- “You have breast cancer.” The rest of the meeting with the surgeon was a blur. I had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation over the course of the next 6 months.

A year out of treatment, just as my hair was growing back, I felt a lump in my other breast. The cancer was back and the nightmare started again. I had 2 lumpectomies and the surgeon was unable to get clear margins- so I was forced to get a mastectomy at the age of 35. I did BRCA testing and found out that I carried the BrCA2 gene mutation - which made my risk of breast cancer soar to 87% chance in my lifetime. I chose to remove my other breast to lower my risk of getting breast cancer a third time. 

I would later learn that my daughter and one of my sisters carried the same gene mutation and my sister is now also a breast cancer survivor. 

I lost my hair, my breasts and my fertility to this disease. But I did not lose my life! The words “excision per patient request” probably saved my life. I went on to adopt 3 newborn babies and have been cancer free since 1998!

I have now been a huge advocate for breast cancer awareness. Along with my team “Pink Wings” and my family and friends- I have helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last 29 years, participating in 17 of the Breast Cancer 3-Day 60 mile walks all around the country as well as 30 mile, 5k and 24 hour Relay for Life events.  I was a Komen Big Wig 2 years ago and also a breast cancer participant on a show called “Skin Wars” that highlighted young breast cancer survivors and our journey. 

It is because of my breast cancer journey that I am a United Flight attendant today! I learned a lot from breast cancer and honestly would not change anything about my life. Cancer taught me to appreciate every day above ground and to live life to the fullest. I was hired by United at the age of 61 and have been flying for 10 months now and I am living my BEST life! My mom was a United Flight attendant back in the 50’s and 60’s and my step dad was a captain for United. I am happy to carry on the legacy-

My advice to others- be your own advocate for your health. If something doesn’t feel right- go to the doctors and keep on pushing until you get answers.

Men get breast cancer too- so ANYONE who finds a suspicious lump in their breast should get checked out.

When I was first diagnosed it changed my whole world. I had a brand new baby not even a year old and I knew that I had to make it out alive. If not for me definitely for him! 

The road was beyond easy. Double Mastectomy with reconstruction was decided due to size of the mass. (Softball size) First surgery was 6 hours long, I had drains coming out of the sides of my chest and two big cuts and no breasts! It was so debilitating and humiliating, it really makes you question a lot of things. 

Once my scars started to heal and drains were removed, I then was able to get saline pumped in to my expanders to stretch my skin to the size I wanted to be. By mid October I was finally able to have my next surgery to remove saline filled expanders and replace with silicone implants. 

I was back to work in March with a continuing treatment plan and by June we found out we were expecting our baby girl. 

Going through this was so unbelievably hard, definitely not for the faint of heart. Sometimes I wonder how I made it! And every day I see the scars in the mirror of what I endured but also what I made it through! They are my battle scars! I WON the battle! 

I couldn't have done it alone though, I praise the Lord I had my family and friends by my side to help me through! Looking in to the faces of my babies makes it all worth it to me! I would fight that battle again if it means I get to hold them every single day!

Every year since diagnosis my team and I called Flygirl's Angels do the Austin Race for the Cure to raise awareness! 

This year it is Sunday October 26th!

P.S.  GET THOSE BOOBIES CHECKED! MINE TRIED TO KILL ME.

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.”

Triple negative breast cancer

It's in the simple moments that Stephanie Rifici Thorkelson feels most grateful.

"Our whole journey is truly a miracle," she said.

While nursing her son Luka back in the summer of 2020, Stephanie noticed a lump in her breast. She assumed it was a clogged duct and went on for months before visiting a doctor.

On September 11, 2020, Stephanie was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. As a 33-year-old healthy woman, the news was shocking.

"It was really surreal because I don't have any history of breast cancer in my family," she told us. Getting a cancer diagnosis is one thing, but no one expected what news would come days later.

"I got a phone call. 'Yes, you do have breast cancer.' And in the mix, I had also found out I was pregnant then that same week," Stephanie told us. Stephanie's husband, Evan Thorkelson, says there were excruciating talks that followed.

"It's that delicate line you're walking when you're dealing with the life of the mother and also the life of the baby," Evan said. But Stephanie and Evan stayed positive. That's because, a miracle was on its way. "The doctors got together and had a plan for us, you know, that made us feel really good that. We, you know, might be able to keep the baby and still get the treatment," Evan said. 

At Cleveland Clinic, Stephanie first had a lumpectomy, then during her second trimester, she started chemotherapy, while carrying her son Leo. Then in April 2021, Leo was born. A true miracle baby. She says friends and family got her through.

"I don't even know if I can put it into words," Stephanie said. "I'm so grateful for my team of doctors for devising this plan. And that saved me, and that saved my son. And now we're here today to be able to share our story and be able to tell people that, 'Hey, there are options for you and I truly want you to explore your options to fight for what you want."

She's a mother of two, a survivor, and now an advocate for other breast cancer warriors. "She is such a strong, beautiful woman. I take my inspiration from her, seeing her go through this, you know, cancer pregnancy pandemic, you know, at the same time. And, she did that and, you know, there were tough times no doubt. But, you know, she persevered and that's what's so amazing about her," Evan said.

Today, Stephanie is cancer free. She has to get scans every six months, but otherwise, she's doing great. Leo is happy and healthy, too. Stephanie is also expecting her third baby boy coming January 2026.

Stage IIa Triple Positive HER2+ Breast Cancer
 
During my routine mammogram in December 2024, a suspicious lump was discovered. 1/31/25 I was diagnosed with Stage IIa Triple Positive HER2+ Breast Cancer.

There's a whirlwind of emotions that come with it, sitting in that small room, hearing the doctor not only confirm that you have cancer, but it's an aggressive type that has begun to spread, so therefore an aggressive treatment plan is needed. 

A week later, I was getting a chemo port placed in my chest. Three weeks later, I had the first chemotherapy/immunotherapy infusion. In that moment, sitting in that doctor's office, I had a choice to make, and it had to be made on the spot: fight or flight.

I chose to FIGHT. 

Now, as I prepare to ring that bell in three days (10/22/25), the hardest parts feel so far behind me. I don't look ANYTHING like I've been through! My skin looks great. I have a head full of hair. I gained weight instead of losing it. I can't stop smiling. I feel GOOD. 

Speaking on the positives isn't meant to minimize the difficulties I faced throughout this journey. There were moments I wasn't sure I would make it out of the lows, but the FIGHT in me wouldn't allow it! This fight came before all feelings, including my own! 

There's a tremendous loss that comes with prioritizing this fight [for your life] over folks' feelings. You lose familial ties, "forever" friendships; familiar acquaintances become distant. But through the heartbreak and tears, you find your support system. It won't look like anything you initially imagined, but it will be everything you need! They will stand in the gap for you in ways you didn't even know you needed. 

I stand at the end of this journey as not just a survivor, but a SUR-THRIVER!!! I didn't simply survive, I'm also thriving!! 

I am the face of breast cancer survivorship! I stand with many who chose fight and kicked it's ____! 

My journey. My fight. My VICTORY.