Monique Morris is a social worker, nurse, and mother. She is used to playing the role of caretaker. But it wasn’t until Monique was diagnosed with breast cancer that she allowed herself to experience first-hand what it felt like to receive the level of care and support she had so readily provided to others.
In 2012, Monique was working as a hospital social worker at a Penn Medicine affiliated hospital when she received her diagnosis. As an alumnus of Penn’s Graduate School of Social Policy and Practice, she was also familiar with the caliber of compassionate care they instill in their students and wanted to come to Penn for treatment.
Staying Connected to Penn
When Monique moved to Michigan in 2014, she never lost touch with Penn. In fact, it was her Penn social work team who connected Monique to an area cancer center where she could continue treatments. “I was comforted that Penn was following me,” said Monique, “and I liked that they met me where I was.”
That level of compassion and dedication helped lead her back to Penn — first as a nurse in the ICU at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and then in 2019, as a postpartum nurse, assisting mothers immediately after they had given birth.
Unfortunately, Monique began to experience concerning symptoms that led her care team at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center to suspect her cancer had recurred. Courtney A. Gabriel, MD, MSCE, moved quickly to set into motion a series of tests proving their worst fear —Monique now had metastatic breast cancer.
As a young mother, such a diagnosis is harrowing. Dr. Gabriel helped Monique adjust and regain some control, making connections to help her expand her community of support. This was not a situation to be dealt with alone. There were treatments, and there were also the everyday matters to continue to attend to. She was facing a serious drain on her money and resources—not to mention taking care of an active teenager with friends, basketball practice, and school to keep up with.
Help from The Pink Clover Foundation
Monique's social work team encouraged her to apply to the Pink Clover Foundation. Founded by Sam Sorbello, in memory of his wife Colleen, Pink Clover is dedicated to providing financial support to ease the burden cancer can bring to patients and families.
A few weeks later, while Monique was at the hospital for treatments, she received a call from Sam saying they had read her story and wanted to help. He couldn’t have known how critical the timing of that call was, but for Monique that extra kindness came at a moment when she was overwhelmed with growing fears of the pandemic and increases in household expenses. Her family had been as supportive as possible, but Monique needed a bigger community to help her refocus on her health.
That call renewed her faith. The Pink Clover Foundation supports breast cancer research and education, as well as comfort to women who are struggling during their fight against cancer. Their assistance can take the form of ministry, visitation, and grants — all of which Monique desperately needed.
Pink Clover subsidized Monique’s rent so that she was able to keep her son in the same high school district, “They helped me back on my feet. They helped me limit changes in my son’s life at a time when we were both already adjusting to so much because of my health,” says Monique.
One of the other opportunities at the ACC, particularly for patients facing metastatic disease, is to be part of clinical trials — to help inform and improve therapies. True to Monique’s strength and bright character, she is participating in a study led by Payal D. Shah, MD, which uses a novel approach to shrink tumors.
Life After Treatment
Monique’s son is thriving in sports, and the two continue to have hard and honest conversations about her health. Through all of her struggles and sacrifices, she has maintained her positive and warm demeanor and credits a strong support system for making that possible, “The little things are major things. Having family and friends — and a great care team who I also count as friends — around you is what truly matters. If you have that you can take on anything the world throws at you,” says Monique.