From Diagnosis to Degree: How Infinite Strength Helped a Single Mom Achieve Academic Success
By Susan Pratt
Today, Marlena Murphy provides mental health therapy to people diagnosed with breast cancer at TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation. But in 2017, Marlena’s life looked very different.
Marlena Murphy
Marlena's day-to-day life was a bustling whirlwind. She worked as a dedicated federal background investigator. Her work days involved locating records and interviewing subjects and their acquaintances. On top of her demanding career, she was a devoted single mom who volunteered at her daughter's school. She cherished time with friends, traveling to new places, and reconnecting with nature on hiking adventures.
During her annual wellness exam when she turned 40, her doctor opted not to recommend a mammogram. The decision was based on the absence of any family history of breast cancer and the potential for false positives.
The power of a woman’s intuition
But Marlena discovered a lump in her breast while showering six months later. Although she could only feel it when she raised her left arm, she intuitively knew she needed to have it checked out. Her primary care physician confirmed the lump and suggested an ultrasound. But the earliest appointment was a month away. This left Marlena uneasy, inspiring her to push for an earlier date. Fortunately, her primary care doctor was able to secure an earlier appointment.
As Oprah Winfrey once wisely stated, "A woman's intuition is her guardian angel." And this sentiment certainly held true for Marlena. The ultrasound and subsequent needle biopsy confirmed her suspicions – she had breast cancer. The news was not surprising. But Marlena was unprepared for the complexity of the diagnosis and the difficult journey ahead.
Marlena's diagnosis was triple-negative stage-three breast cancer in her left breast. “Triple-negative" refers to the absence of receptors commonly found in breast cancers. Unfortunately, a triple-negative diagnosis limits the effectiveness of certain treatments and often requires a more aggressive treatment plan. Moreover, the cancer had already spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Being open to support
Throughout her treatment, Marlena leaned on her network of family and friends for support.
Marlena recollects, “I had people come from out of town. I had my family, church members, and friends. So, literally every single time I went to treatment, I was not by myself.”
It was an unsettling yet necessary lesson for her – to allow people to be there for her. Marlena says, “I’m the person that people tend to lean on. [I had to] allow people to be there for me [and] it was uncomfortable.”
Due to the intensity of her treatment, Marlena had to leave her investigator position. Yet, amidst this setback, another opportunity presented itself. Friends and family had long encouraged her to become a counselor. She had a lot of reasons at the time why she couldn't, but her cancer diagnosis gave her the space to reconsider.
A new goal to accomplish
A year and a half after completing treatment, she took a leap of faith and enrolled in a three-year counseling program. She took out student loans and began driving for Uber Eats to keep some income coming in. She also began working part-time as a cancer patient advocate.
Then, four years after her initial diagnosis and two years into school, life took an unexpected turn. Both she and her physical therapist noticed unusual swelling in her left breast.
Once again, she was scheduled for a mammogram and ultrasound more than two months away. Instead of accepting the first appointment, however, she advocated for herself and secured an earlier appointment. Her intuition was right again. Cancer was detected in her left breast and under her right armpit. This time, the diagnosis was stage 4 metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
Marlena was angry and frustrated. She was only two months away from starting an unpaid internship, a requirement to graduate. She remembered how exhausting chemotherapy was the first time around. And she wasn't sure she would be able to manage both the treatment and the internship at the same time.
Nonetheless, her determination propelled her forward. As expected, the time commitment for the treatment and the internship was significant. Marlena had to cut her UberEats driving hours and reduce her hours as a cancer patient advocate. As a result, her income was cut drastically.
The financial impact of cancer care
With six months left until she completed school, Marlena was running out of funds.
Marlena’s financial situation, it turns out, is quite common. According to breastcancer.org, almost 48% of the women in a 2018 study reported that breast cancer caused financial problems for them. And while both black and white women were included in the study, there was a significant difference between the percentage of black women (58%) vs. white women (39%) who stated that breast cancer caused them financial difficulties. The researchers concluded that a primary cause for the financial issues was lost income after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis.1
Undiscouraged, Marlena leaned into her network, and a door opened for her. A colleague from GRASP, a cancer patient advocacy group, suggested she look into Infinite Strength.
Finding help and hope with Infinite Strength
Infinite Strength was founded by breast cancer survivor Roberta Lombardi. She considered herself lucky because her cancer was caught early. And she could afford the life-saving treatment for her cancer. But she knew she was a rare patient.
During her treatment, she became aware of a painful reality. She heard other patients questioning whether they could continue treatment because they were on their own and had bills to pay. Others considered not continuing treatment to save their families from further financial struggle.
She was frustrated that women were having to choose between treatment and keeping their families housed and fed. So, she founded Infinite Strength. The organization’s aim was to provide financial relief to women diagnosed with breast cancer.
But, Roberta quickly realized the process for awarding financial help was broken. It wasn't truly helping women and families. Most organizations offering financial help to cancer patients serve patients with all types of cancer. So, they frequently have many people requesting support. As a result, the amounts awarded are not enough to truly relieve the financial burden.
According to Roberta, “Giving someone $1000 one time, that’s not enough. Sure, you’re helping them for one month, but then the next month they’re back with the threat of eviction” or another hardship.”
Realizing this, Roberta knew that to really make a difference, Infinite Strength needed to get specific. This specificity is what sets Infinite Strength apart from other organizations. Infinite Strength exclusively serves single mothers with metastatic breast cancer, and they’re committed to complete financial assistance for the women they serve.
For women who qualify, Infinite Strength provides six months of assistance, up to $1000 each month. The six-month time frame is key because it gives women the time and space to figure things out and find additional resources.
While financial assistance typically ends after six months, the emotional support continues. As Roberta says, “[The women are] always with us, [they are] always in our system. We make sure everyone that we support…knows…they can come [to us]”.
A driving force for Roberta is to support and protect children after their mom receives an MBC diagnosis.
“I think these kids who have seen their moms struggle financially and health-wise, the worry that is placed on them…[is] soul-crushing,” Roberta says, “If we can show them that there’s a community that cares for them and isn’t gonna let them just be homeless and turn a blind eye, then to me, that’s what we should do.”
“I think that if kids grow up feeling that support from the community, I think it can change their future. I think it can change how they look at the world,” Roberta continues.
A dream not deferred
Marlena and family her graduation.
For Marlena, the financial assistance from Infinite Strength was a lifeline. She received her first assistance amount in December. With her upcoming graduation in May, she knew she would be able to start working and have an income again. The financial help from Infinite Strength provided a bridge crucial to her completing treatment AND fulfilling her dream of becoming a mental health counselor.
“Not having to worry, not have that mental, emotional stress while trying to go through school and go through [my] internship [was very important]. [With my internship] I needed to be in a space where I [could listen to clients] and not have…to worry about how my bills are gonna be paid and make sure my roof is over my head.”
The journey Marlena embarked on, from diagnosis to survivorship, inspired her decision to become a mental health counselor. Her experience with a therapist during her treatment helped her realize she wasn’t alone in the challenges she faced after her diagnosis. With the help of Infinite Strength, not only does Marlena’s light shine bright in the breast cancer community, it illuminates a path to healing for the people diagnosed after her.
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Black and African Americans
Financial assistance
Metastatic breast cancer
Parenting with cancer
