Shelley Murray’s Story

When were you first diagnosed?

Shelley Murray was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago.

Like many women, Shelley’s cancer was found through a mammogram. There was no history of breast cancer in her family. She and her family had always been incredibly healthy, so the diagnosis came as a complete shock.

“Whether stage zero or a worse diagnosis, I think you hear that word, and it’s just devastating,” Shelley says.

Her treatment plan included a lumpectomy and radiation. In fact, Shelley was the last person to go through radiation at length before everything shut down for COVID.

 

How did you handle your diagnosis at first?

At first, Shelley was very private.

She stayed upbeat and continued working. Her team did not know what she was going through, and she thinks she was only out of work for about four days.

For the first three years, she kept that part of her life mostly to herself.

But over time, Shelley began to feel that staying quiet no longer aligned with who she was.

“What motivates me in life is giving back to people and adding value to their lives,” she says.

“After the first three years, I decided this is crazy. I need to go public with this,” Shelley says. “I know so many people, and I need to give back.”

What changed when you started sharing your story?

Once Shelley began sharing more openly, she realized how much her experience could mean to others.

Three people she knew — friends or people even closer — were diagnosed after her. Their diagnoses were more difficult than Shelley’s, and they came to her wanting to talk.

“They would come to me and say, ‘We just need to talk about it with you. How did you get through this?’” Shelley says.

For Shelley, being able to help someone else through their diagnosis felt deeply meaningful. It reminded her that her story could have purpose, even if she had once kept it private.

 

What was treatment like for you?

Shelley’s treatment included a lumpectomy and radiation.

She expected radiation not to phase her. But it did.

“It phased me from day one.”

For Shelley, the hardest part was not only the radiation itself. It was the feeling of vulnerability that came with lying on the table and realizing, in a very real way, what was happening.

That feeling was difficult for Shelley, who is used to being strong, upbeat, and in motion. She hated feeling vulnerable. But looking back, she also sees resilience in herself and in so many other survivors.

“A word to describe me, and probably a lot of cancer survivors would say this: resilient,” Shelley says.

How did your son’s diagnosis affect you?

Shelley’s story took on another layer when her 33-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer in the lymph nodes in his neck.

Her son is the picture of health. He has climbed Mount Everest and done many extraordinary things. 

So when he was diagnosed, Shelley was stunned.

Thankfully, his prognosis is good. He has had surgery, is doing well, and is already back to climbing mountains, running, and living his life fully.

But watching him go through his own diagnosis changed Shelley too.

“It doesn’t matter,” Shelley says. “It hits you.”

Seeing her son face cancer with strength made Shelley even more committed to living each day fully. 

“I’ve become even more like, okay, I’ll climb that mountain,” she says. 

“He’s my inspiration in life for everything.”

What would you tell someone newly diagnosed?

First, they are not alone.

“There’s a community of women that can be there for you,” Shelley says. “Trust me, I’m one of them.”

Second, everyone handles a diagnosis differently.

“It’s okay however you choose to deal with it,” she says. “Because that’s who you are.”

 

How did you find Runway?

For the first few years after her diagnosis, Shelley raised money through Making Strides for the American Cancer Society. She found that work meaningful, but she still felt like something was missing.

Then she went to a luncheon and heard Olivia speak.

Shelley was stunned by Runway for Recovery: by the way it celebrated women, especially women living with metastatic breast cancer, and by the way the money raised went directly to families and women impacted by breast cancer.

“I was so stunned by what she was doing,” Shelley says.

“I need to do something with this,” she remembers thinking.

 

How are you feeling for the Runway stage?

Shelley has seen the videos. She knows people have told her she has to experience it for herself. But she also knows she cannot fully understand what she is walking into until she is there.

“I have legitimately no idea what I’m in for,” she says.

On the Runway stage, we look forward to celebrating Shelley as she leans fully into life, following in her son’s footsteps.