Rochester Woman Beats Cancer After Losing Job and Insurance

When Nadjah Shackelford answered the phone on September 1st, she heard three words that changed everything: "You have cancer." It was her last day at work before her employer, a not-for-profit, closed its doors.

The 30-year-old Rochester woman had discovered a lump on her breast weeks earlier. Knowing she was about to lose her health insurance, she rushed to get a mammogram before her coverage ended.

The timing felt impossible. Without a job or insurance, Shackelford faced a terrifying question: how would she afford the surgery and treatment she needed to survive?

"I just jumped basically into survival mode," Shackelford said. "How am I going to figure out surgeries and insurance?"

Her story isn't unique. According to the American Cancer Society, women without insurance are 60% more likely to die from breast cancer than those with coverage. The gap between diagnosis and care can become deadly.

That's where the Cancer Services Program of the Finger Lakes Region stepped in. The University of Rochester Medicine program pays for diagnostic services for people without insurance and helps them enroll in the Medicaid cancer treatment program, which covers the full cost of care.

"If I didn't get those recommendations, I wouldn't have the insurance to cover the major surgery that I need," Shackelford said. "I probably would still right now be searching and looking."

The Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester provided additional support. Executive director Christine Thompson, herself a breast cancer survivor, offers free services and programs to anyone with a diagnosis.

"We know that we can get you connected with someone who's been there," Thompson said.

The Bright Side

Shackelford caught her cancer early, giving her the best chance at a full recovery. The programs that saved her are actively working to reach more people who fall through the insurance gaps.

Hannah Farley, who manages the Cancer Services Program, says they're seeing more people without coverage who need screening services. The safety net exists specifically for moments like Shackelford's.

Now scheduling her surgery and radiation treatments, Shackelford is turning her hardest moment into hope for others. She's sharing her story to let women know that help exists, even when everything feels lost.

"If I can help other women not feel how I was feeling, or just to make it at least a little bit better, then I'm going to do it," she said.

On October 31st, she'll support a fundraiser marking the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, paying forward the support that gave her a fighting chance.