Mary Sullivan

In 2004, when she heard the news that she had breast cancer, the inevitable thought of “I’m too young to die” raced through Mary Sullivan’s mind. “My three children will be motherless.”

With her husband, mother, and sister on her team, they sought out the best possible doctors and treatment. Now, six years later, Mary is cancer-free and feeling good. She stresses the importance of doing your homework and finding a physician you trust. “You have to believe in your doctor…I am happy with the decisions I’ve made, and if given the chance, I would not change any of them.”

Though love and support from her friends and family played a big part in her recovery, Mary says “The most influential were my three children. We would pray together, and the hugs and kisses I would receive from them helped me get through every day.”

At the beginning of her ordeal she had a tremendous urge to communicate with other women who had gone through this experience. She craved reassurance that everything was going to be okay, that her chances of being cured were very high. So now in an effort to “turn a positive into a negative,” Mary volunteers at the Adelphi Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Group to help alleviate the fears and anxiety of new breast cancer patients.