Rochelle Murphy

One morning after showering, Rochelle Murphy looked into the mirror as she applied her antiperspirant. To her surprise, she found that her left breast was misshapen and was a completely different size from her right one. There was no pain, but she was concerned by this drastic change. She immediately began a series of medical appointments including: labs, scans, tests and blood draws. On February 8, 2018, Rochelle was diagnosed with triple negative infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Rochelle Murphy’s twin sister had been battling melanoma cancer that had metastasized two years prior. Though Rochelle wanted to share with her twin, she wanted to share only when she was well enough to handle the news. Although Rochelle’s sister endured harsh side effects during her treatment, she maintained her positivity, which gave Rochelle encouragement. When Rochelle heard that her sister’s clinical trial was working, she felt it was the right time to share her own diagnosis. Immediately upon opening up, Rochelle was showered with her sister’s love and support. After watching her sister face such harsh side effects, Rochelle feared the worst, but was pleasantly surprised when her side effects were mild. She lost all but a few tendrils of hair, but disguised her illness with vibrant hats and scarves. Her family, friends and supportive husband rallied around her and gave her the support that enabled her to maintain her positive outlook on life. “Through good and not so good days, I remain positive and energized by prayers and inspiring thoughts from family, friends and even from those I don’t even know,” said Rochelle. On April 7, Rochelle woke up at 4:45am to a great deal of activity in her chest. “It was like a barn dance and I didn’t know what to make of it,” she said. A few days later, after describing the sensation to her oncologist, he said, “Your chemo is working. The cancer was fighting to live, but your body is fighting back and I believe you are going to win.” These two little sentences held so much power for Rochelle and her family. They gave her the hope and strength that she needed to persevere.

One morning after showering, Rochelle Murphy looked into the mirror as she applied her antiperspirant. To her surprise, she found that her left breast was…