Pink Cupcake Thriver: Maren Coffman

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Little lesson on the difference between “Survivor” and “Thriver.”

Maren Coffman, from Charlotte, is a “Thriver.” She was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 44. At the end of her 5-year course of treatment, she had severe back pain that was eventually diagnosed as metastatic breast cancer (MBC). It was widespread. Found in her liver, brain, bones, lymph nodes, and bone marrow.

For those not familiar, MBC means your breast cancer spreads and it might be livable, but it’s not curable. You don’t “Survive” it. You are fighting for life, for always.

We don’t call these women, “Survivors.” In the breast cancer world, we call these women, “Thrivers.” (It is a relatively newer term.)

”Everything about my life changed in an instant,” Maren says. “I am a professor of nursing at UNC Charlotte and can no longer work. I miss work terribly since it was a part of my identity, and I worked hard to get my PhD and earn Professor status. I have a supportive husband and four children including 21-year-old twins in college, and 13-and-16-year-old boys. I can’t think too much about leaving my husband a widower, and all of the milestones I might miss in my children’s lives.”

Maren says through her journey, she has been surprised to learn even though MBC kills countless women, it is poorly understood.

”We often feel invisible,” she said. “We are shunned in the breast cancer community, and the disease is very lonely. Many of us are working to raise awareness and provide support to those of us living with MBC. I will be at the Pink Cupcake Walk on October 1st.”

So when we say our walk supports “Survivors, Thrivers, and Fighters,” that’s what we mean.

GO HERE TO SIGN UP and join Maren, and many others like her >> https://tinyurl.com/PCWTeamMolly

In the interest of full transparency, my mom was a “Thriver.” Ultimately, she didn’t survive. I’ve gotten better at just typing it out as fact, but she died of Metastatic Breast Cancer in 2017. She’d been a “Survivor” first—for 25 amazingly long years—then it popped back up and spread through her body.

Again, SIGN UP HERE >> https://tinyurl.com/PCWTeamMolly

Thank you, Maren, for reminding us how many different versions of breast cancer there can be.

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