From Patient to Advocate: Cancer Survivor Now Greets Patients at The Breast Care Center
Don’t wait.
Those are the two words breast cancer survivor Patricia Stoufer has for anyone putting off a mammogram.
“I felt a lump in my breast months before my regular mammogram, but because I’ve had benign lumps and biopsies in the past, I decided to wait until my scheduled appointment,” she said.
That one decision proved life-changing.
“The first and only time I waited, it was the big C: cancer,” Patricia recalled. “Every other time I felt a lump, I called my doctor immediately.”
Diagnosis and treatment
Patricia was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer called right invasive ductal carcinoma, a double-negative, stage 2B form of breast cancer in September 2017. This aggressive form of cancer called for aggressive surgery and treatment.
Patricia made the difficult decision to undergo a double mastectomy with implants followed by an initial round of 18 weeks of chemotherapy. She received five different chemotherapy drugs administered in six-and-a-half-hour sessions once every three weeks. In addition, she had to receive shots to boost her white blood cell count because the chemo was so aggressive. The treatment came with grueling side effects.
“During chemo, I lost all my hair, and my toenails and fingernails fell off,” she said. “It wasn’t painful, but I’d find them on the floor or sofa. The chemo made me very weak and feeble, and I couldn’t be around a lot of people because I needed to avoid exposure to illness while my immune system was compromised.”
Cancer-free
After 32 years at Ford Motor Company, Patricia retired in February 2024. Today, she is back to work in a new role—as a medical receptionist, greeting patients at the Liberty Hospital Breast Care Center.
“After visiting Liberty Hospital, something inside nudged me to apply for jobs, and one in particular caught my attention – the opening in the Breast Care Center. Having gone through breast cancer myself, I feel a deep connection to this role.”
Patricia Stoufer
Patricia said she finds fulfillment in helping others navigate the same difficult path she once walked.
“I have a newfound compassion for breast cancer patients, and I don’t have a doubt that I’m supposed to be right here for the next chapter of life,” she said. “I know the Lord had a hand in me being here, and I’m very happy.”
Chance encounter
Recently, a touching encounter while traveling reaffirmed her sense of gratitude and purpose. While waiting for her husband, Patricia struck up a conversation with a young woman. After a few minutes of chatting, Patricia learned the woman was a scientist who had developed a cancer drug. Patricia was in shock when the scientist revealed that she had invented Herceptin.
“My mouth flew open,” she said. “I told her that that was the drug that saved my life. I am a HER2-positive, double-negative breast cancer survivor, and she made the drug that cured me.”
From her battle with cancer to her work at the Breast Care Center, Patricia has found healing, purpose and a renewed sense of life. Today, she is healthy, cancer-free, and embracing her new role, knowing that she is exactly where she is meant to be.
She and her husband, Jim, who works at Ford, live in the Northland and enjoy a blended family of seven adult children and several grandchildren.
Early detection saves lives. Learn more at The Breast Care Center.
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