The nearly 80-year-old mother, grandmother, and avid cruise-goer says research has kept her alive
Yvonne Morgan never missed a mammogram. She had a history of cystic breasts and knew the importance of staying vigilant. So when she was diagnosed with stage 4 HER2-positive breast cancer after a routine mammogram eight years ago at 71, she was shocked.
“I couldn’t follow it,” Yvonne says ahead of her 80th birthday. “I do everything [my doctors] tell me to do.”
Faced with an unthinkable new reality, Yvonne leaned on her family, including her husband, Keith, and daughter, LaToya, for support. Her niece made her an appointment with a breast surgeon on Long Island, but because the cancer had spread past Yvonne’s breasts to her lymph nodes and liver, surgery was not recommended. The surgeon referred her to a medical oncologist, who Yvonne still sees to this day.
For the past eight years, Yvonne has been on a number of different chemotherapy regimens, each bringing its own challenges and uncertainties. Through it all, she has managed her symptoms and side effects with strength and grace.
“The treatment has its ups and downs,” she says. “Sometimes, I might get tired when I come home. Another time, I feel like I can move the whole house and just keep on doing stuff. It goes back and forth.”
Most recently, Yvonne was taking Herceptin, a landmark medication for HER2-positive breast cancer that BCRF played a major role in developing. Herceptin is a targeted medication—not a chemotherapy—that binds to HER2 receptors to stop their growth, slowing down the cancer. It was proving successful until this spring; now, Yvonne and her care team are figuring out their next steps.
Yvonne and LaToya remain hopeful and thankful to have so many treatment options thanks to research and the critical work of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).
“The research has helped the doctors consistently come up with the treatment that would be supportive for her,” LaToya says. “And for that, we are definitely grateful. If more people could hear about it, be inspired, and know how important research is, the better we have for what cancer could look like in the next 20 years.”
Despite the challenges of the past eight years, Yvonne has also experienced many joyful milestones: the birth of her grandson, Cairo (pictured); family cruises to Italy, Spain, Jamaica, and more; and her 55th wedding anniversary to Keith. The duo celebrated with a family party. Yvonne also finds great support from her church community and her 100-year-old mother, who lives with her.
“She’s been through quite the journey, but she has consistently continued to live life,” LaToya says.
Yvonne’s message to others facing breast cancer is to be resilient, trust in your care team, and have faith.
“Don’t give up,” she says. “The doctors are there to help you. They work together to see what they can come up with to help you. When I was a kid, I used to hear, once you get cancer, that’s it. And I’m gonna be doing eight years this year. I didn’t give up. I said, I’m gonna fight. And that’s what I’ve been doing.”
