A Journey of Early Detection and Resilience: Morgan's Story

When her primary care provider first advised her to schedule her first mammogram, Morgan Barrett didn’t take the suggestion entirely seriously. “In your head, you think older people get breast cancer—I’m 40,” says Morgan, “I thought I was too young.” So, when life with three kids got a bit too busy, she canceled her appointment and was in no rush to reschedule.

It wasn’t until a close friend reminded her of the importance of preventative care services and urged her to make another appointment that Morgan decided to reschedule her mammogram decision that ended up being an incredible blessing.

After her initial mammogram, Morgan’s life became a whirlwind of testing in the wake of a flagged result. She was immediately scheduled to return in two weeks for another mammogram and an ultrasound, and when those results were flagged as well, she went in for a third time for a biopsy. Those results revealed that Morgan had a cancerous spot—stage one breast cancer. “I was really lucky that they even found the cancer because it was triple-negative, which is the most aggressive type.”

At this point, Morgan’s care had been handled by her primary care provider outside of Memorial Health System, but when asked about where she would like to go for cancer treatment, her response was immediate: “I didn’t really know that much about breast cancer, but everyone knows about Dr. Cawley and the cancer center, so I knew I needed to get to Memorial.”

The intentional care provided by the Belpre Cancer Center was apparent from Morgan’s first official appointment— “They have you meet the entire team,” Morgan recalls, “Dr. Cawley, Dr. Bhati, nurses, radiologists, and a representative from Dr. Dumasius’ office—they’re all involved right from the start. You’re there for three to four hours, they give you lunch while they step out to determine your course of treatment, and then they present their plan to you for review—it’s all very thorough.”

For Morgan, the next two weeks all involved testing: PET scans, MRIs, CT scans, and more. While the entire experience was a scary ordeal that had her entire family on edge, Morgan knew that she was in good hands, “I had only ever heard great things about Dr. Cawley—everyone loves her.” From the very start of her cancer journey, Morgan had been met with overwhelming support not just from her loved ones, but from everyone at the Belpre Cancer Center.

Morgan is a testament to the importance of preventative care and screenings. With no signs or symptoms leading up to her breast cancer diagnosis, she truly had no reason to suspect that she had the beginnings of an incredibly aggressive form of cancer. Thanks to the urging of a diligent friend, Morgan and her doctors were able to catch the disease in its earliest stages and begin care immediately.

When asked about any advice or messages she would like to share with community members, Morgan was quick to answer, “Get your mammogram! Go to your appointments and listen to your gut when it comes to your health.”

• 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in their lifetime
• This year, an estimated 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer
• There are 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States
• Approximately 30% of all new cancer diagnosis in women will be breast cancer

Data provided by National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

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