Breast cancer survivor helps members schedule vital screenings
Michelle's Story
At UnitedHealthcare, senior clinical coordinator Michelle Gray helps members take charge of their health, including helping them schedule preventive screenings, like mammograms, they may be tempted to put off.
She’s heard all the excuses firsthand: “I don’t have time.” “I need to put this off until later.” “I don’t have a history of cancer in my family.”
After all, it wasn’t all that long ago that she was making the same ones.
The symptoms she couldn’t ignore
After Michelle had a routine OB-GYN visit, the doctor did a breast exam and noticed a lump. Michelle, not even 40 at the time, had never had a mammogram. And like many busy moms, she prioritized her family coming to visit and the upcoming busy holiday season, deciding she'd schedule a mammogram later
“I actually probably was about six months behind on getting my mammogram,” Michelle said.
As the weeks went by, Michelle started experiencing symptoms and pain that couldn’t be ignored.
It got to the point where Michelle’s daughter, Anissa, had to step in and say something.
“I was watching certain symptoms worsen,” Anissa said. “I was watching her kind of push everything to the side because she was so focused on helping others and being there for other people that she wasn't putting her needs first. And it was getting to the point where, to be honest, it was scaring me.”
Listening to her own advice
Anissa urged her mom to schedule her mammogram — having the same conversation that Michelle was used to having with the members she serves.
“I said, ‘Mom, I really need you to go get your mammogram,’” Anissa said. “And she knows me well enough to know that if I'm asking something of her, it’s serious.”
That conversation changed everything. Michelle saw the fear in her daughter’s eyes and knew it was time to prioritize her health. She scheduled the mammogram, which turned into a follow-up biopsy. Then the news she never wanted to hear: “Unfortunately, it’s cancer.”
“When I got the call that I had breast cancer, it was a sinking feeling. It was an unbelievable feeling,” Michelle said. “Your life changes when that happens.”
Telling Anissa wasn’t any easier.
“I remember falling to my knees in front of her because you don't want it to be true,” Anissa said, tears welling in her eyes. “And we sat together for a while and then we just basically decided that we were going fight this, and I wasn't going to leave her side no matter what.”
Anissa stayed by her mom’s side through every chemotherapy appointment, becoming the steady support Michelle needed.
Advocating with a different perspective
Today, Michelle is cancer free and 10 years in remission from breast cancer — with her experience through her own journey changing the way she supports her members.
“I believe that I was put in this role to help members,” Michelle said. “Now I have a different perspective because I've been through it and … I am still here. I'm a survivor.”
Michelle stays on top of her own annual mammogram each October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and advocates more strongly than ever for the screening that helped save her life.
"I could talk pretty much anybody into getting one," Michelle said. “One of my coworkers said, ‘Oh Michelle, she’s the Mammogram Queen.’”
For Michelle, that title isn't just part of her job anymore. It's a personal mission.
"Early detection saves lives," Michelle said. "The mammogram saved my life."
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