Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer: Maria’s Journey of Resilience and Advocacy
Close-up of a woman’s hands holding a mug with a pink–teal–green metastatic breast cancer ribbon beside a notebook, symbolizing strength during treatment.

At just 32 years old, Maria of California has faced challenges most people could never imagine. Living with metastatic breast cancer (mBC), she continues to endure the physical and emotional weight of a diagnosis that often feels all-consuming.
“I feel like I cannot catch a break. I am battling with my bone metastasis, my lymphedema, my diabetes, and my idiopathic hypertension. I am at doctor appointments three days out of the week (sometimes even Saturdays and Sundays when I get scans). This was my last day of radiation. It was very traumatizing, I literally cannot believe I put my body through that. This is when I finally decided to get mental therapy because I just couldn’t handle it anymore.”

Maria’s story underscores how complex mBC can be—patients often face not only cancer itself but also the side effects of treatments and other chronic conditions. While she praises her oncology team, Maria highlights gaps in patient education and communication.
“I have amazing oncologists. But they did not let me know that I was at very high risk for lymphedema. My doctor told me to watch out for swelling, but I didn’t even know what type of swelling. I got severe lymphedema. How did they not let me know about something so serious? We need more help with understanding what disease this medication can give me in the long run and how I can prevent it.”

 

Support Our Sisters: Uplifting Black and Hispanic Women with mBC

 

Maria’s voice reflects the broader challenges faced by Black and Hispanic women navigating metastatic breast cancer. To address these challenges, the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) launched Support Our Sisters, a dedicated initiative to amplify patient stories, offer culturally sensitive education, and connect women to vital support networks.

Through Support Our Sisters, NMQF provides resources for managing treatment side effects, guidance for discussing care plans with healthcare teams, and opportunities for women to share their journeys with others who understand. The initiative is designed to ensure that women like Maria don’t feel alone as they navigate one of the toughest battles of their lives.

 

Take Action

 

Stories like Maria’s remind us why listening to patients’ lived experiences is critical to improving care. To learn more, explore patient stories, join the Support Our Sisters network, or access helpful resources, visit SupportOurSistersWithmBC.org

Join us in empowering women living with metastatic breast cancer—because every voice deserves to be heard, every experience deserves respect, and every sister deserves support.

Trending Topics

Features

Download and distribute powerful vaccination QI resources for your community.

Sign up now to support health equity and sustainable health outcomes in your community.

MCED tests use a simple blood draw to screen for many kinds of cancer at once.

FYHN is a bridge connecting health information providers to BIPOC communities in a trusted environment.

Discover an honest look at our Medicare system.

ARC was launched to create a network of community clinicians to diversify and bring clinical trials to communities of color and other communities that have been underrepresented.

The single most important purpose of our healthcare system is to reduce patient risk for an acute event.

Related Posts
Kierra’s Story: Caring for Her Aunt Through Metastatic Breast Cancer
Government Shutdown Threatens Food Access in Black & Brown Communities
“My Life Matters”: Lakia’s Journey with mBC and the Power of Peer Support
Scroll to Top
Featured Articles
Kierra’s Story: Caring for Her Aunt Through Metastatic Breast Cancer
Kierra’s Story: Caring for Her Aunt Through Metastatic Breast Cancer
Government Shutdown Threatens Food Access in Black & Brown Communities
Government Shutdown Threatens Food Access in Black & Brown Communities
“My Life Matters”: Lakia’s Journey with mBC and the Power of Peer Support
“My Life Matters”: Lakia’s Journey with mBC and the Power of Peer Support
Learning, Advocating, and Supporting Each Other: Marialuisa’s Journey with mBC
Learning, Advocating, and Supporting Each Other: Marialuisa’s Journey with mBC
“We Are Living with mBC”: Patti’s Perspective on Support and Self-Advocacy
“We Are Living with mBC”: Patti’s Perspective on Support and Self-Advocacy
Lifting the Burden: Manuela’s Experience as a Full-Time Caregiver for a Loved One with mBC
Lifting the Burden: Manuela’s Experience as a Full-Time Caregiver for a Loved...
Categories
AI
BIPOC News
Cancer
Clinical Trials
Covid19
Diseases of the Body
Environment
Health Data
Health Equity Events
Health Policy
Heart Health
kidney Health
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our latest news​
All Stories
Kierra’s Story: Caring for Her Aunt Through Metastatic Breast Cancer
Kierra’s Story: Caring for Her Aunt Through Metastatic Breast Cancer
Government Shutdown Threatens Food Access in Black & Brown Communities
Government Shutdown Threatens Food Access in Black & Brown Communities
“My Life Matters”: Lakia’s Journey with mBC and the Power of Peer Support
“My Life Matters”: Lakia’s Journey with mBC and the Power of Peer Support
BIPOC News
Kierra’s Story: Caring for Her Aunt Through Metastatic Breast Cancer
Kierra’s Story: Caring for Her Aunt Through Metastatic Breast Cancer
Government Shutdown Threatens Food Access in Black & Brown Communities
Government Shutdown Threatens Food Access in Black & Brown Communities
“My Life Matters”: Lakia’s Journey with mBC and the Power of Peer Support
“My Life Matters”: Lakia’s Journey with mBC and the Power of Peer Support
Environment
Government Shutdown Threatens Food Access in Black & Brown Communities
Government Shutdown Threatens Food Access in Black & Brown Communities
When Access Is Limited: How Food Deserts Harm the Health of Black and Brown Communities
When Access Is Limited: How Food Deserts Harm the Health of Black and Brown C...
dreamstime_s_196607590
Smart Thermostats, Dumb Policy: How Central Control Normalizes Energy Poverty

blackchronicle

Work Force
Families gather at a Bronx community festival with live music, kids’ activities, and health booths sharing SOMOS social care resources and free screenings.
Celebrating Hispanic heritage while learning about health care

msn

Racial/Ethnic Minorities have Greater Declines in Sleep Duration with Higher Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease
Racial/Ethnic Minorities have Greater Declines in Sleep Duration with Higher ...

pubmed

set of hands from different races
How Diversity in Health Care Improves Patient Outcomes
Clinical Trials
Tylenol, Autism, and Breaking the Stigma: What the Science Really Says
Tylenol, Autism, and Breaking the Stigma: What the Science Really Says
Racial/Ethnic Minorities have Greater Declines in Sleep Duration with Higher Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease
Racial/Ethnic Minorities have Greater Declines in Sleep Duration with Higher ...

pubmed

ID 225485086 © Piyapong Thongcharoen | Dreamstime.com
AAP Breaks with Federal Guidance, Recommends COVID-19 Shots for Healthy Young...

Vaccines and Outbreaks
Covid and Flu Boosters in the Black Community
Why COVID-19 and Flu Boosters Matter in the Black Community
Vaccines in the Black Community
Vaccines in the Black Community: A Legacy of Mistrust
dreamstime_s_255228734
Your Child’s Doctor May Now Recommend Covid Shots – Here’s Why
Other Categories
AI
Cancer
Read the latest Cancer stories trending around the world
Covid19
Diseases of the Body
Read about the latest Diseases of the Body trending around the world
Friday Webinars
Every Friday, we bring you insightful webinars covering critical topics in healthcare, data equity, and policy reform.
Health Data
Read the latest Health Data stories trending around the world
Health Equity Events
Read the best Health Equity Events around the country.
Health Policy
Read the latest Health Policy stories trending around the world
Heart Health
Read the latest on Heart Health News, Stories and Tips.
kidney Health
Read more trending News about Kidney Health, Stories and Tips.
LGBTQ Health
Read the latest LGBTQ Health stories trending around the world
Lift Every Voice Patient Network