Esther’s Story: Support, Strength, and Shopping
Esther has been a certified secondary math teacher at Memphis Shelby County School District for over 20 years. She enjoys traveling, eating good food, attending church, and shopping during school breaks. However, during one shopping trip in 2022, she received some news that changed her life.
From Shopping to Survival
During Esther’s Spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, she received a call from her doctor informing her she had triple-negative breast cancer. Esther said, “When I didn’t want to go shop anywhere else, my friends knew something was wrong. It took the wind out of me. I was in total disbelief.”
After her diagnosis, things moved quickly. Esther had a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatments. She rang the bell after her last treatment on December 14, 2022, but she still had a long road ahead. She wasn’t a candidate for a breast implant and had to have a deep flap reconstructive surgery. No facility in Memphis could perform this surgery, so she had to travel to Nashville.
Not only did Esther have to take off work during her cancer treatments, but she also had to take more time off for her reconstructive surgery. She said,
“You can’t work, you can’t do anything,” she said. “After the first month, I couldn’t even stand up straight. I had to use a walker.”
After her surgery, she had to go through physical therapy to help regain her strength.
Path to Financial Security
Esther was unable to work for almost two years. As a mother of two and caretaker for her large extended family, she is unsure what she would have done without her Disability Income Insurance.
“I was off work, but bills keep going,” Esther recalled. “My main concern was getting well. I didn’t have to worry about any of my expenses. My family didn’t have to worry about how I would pay my bills or if we needed to take a loan. I knew every month, like clockwork, my benefits would be directly deposited.”
In addition to her disability policy, Esther also had Limited Benefit Cancer Insurance.
“Every time I went to the doctor, had chemotherapy or physical therapy, all of that was covered. I got a payment for everything I did.”
Finding Strength in Support
Esther is thankful for God’s grace and mercy. She is also grateful for meeting with her account representative during open enrollment almost 20 years ago.
“I’m very thankful I met him that day at school. He went through my cancer journey with me. I never felt like a number. Everybody was wonderful, and it’s been all hands on deck with American Fidelity.”
She also believes in sharing her story and knowledge with other women. Her biggest advice to other teachers: “What happens if you don’t work? We don’t plan to get sick, and I didn’t have two years’ worth of vacation days.”
This blog is up to date as of January 2025 and has not been updated for changes in the law, administration or current events.
