In late 2022, Benita Johnson, of Delaware, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Before going on a trip, she visited her primary care physician for some blood testing as she was not feeling well. Upon returning from her trip, she received a call from her doctor’s office regarding the results and was told to admit herself to a local emergency room. This is where her journey with pancreatic cancer began.
During her hospital stay, she received a CT scan, and after several hours of waiting, she was told there was a growth in her pancreas. Benita’s proactive nature led her to reach out to the Johns Hopkins Oncology Department to arrange an appointment. She knew she had to be proactive to have the best chance of diagnosing and treating the growth on her pancreas, especially after being told she may have only six months to live.
Only a week later, Benita had her growth biopsied and was able to meet with a team of specialists at Johns Hopkins Oncology Department. Together, they made a plan of action to treat her pancreatic cancer.
At Johns Hopkins, she received treatment and underwent the Whipple procedure. However, two weeks after being discharged from recovery, she found herself back in her local hospital with a case of sepsis.
At this point, Benita found it difficult to be in and out of hospitals and interact with so many medical personnel. She once again advocated for herself, discussing with the doctors how overwhelming it was for her. They helped make her healing less stressful. Writing was a positive outlet that helped her mental health immensely. She decided her writing could be beneficial to others and plans to finalize and send the book to publishers soon.
Benita is also a recipient of our patient financial aid program. She speaks on the many ways in which Project Purple has helped her beyond just financially. Dino and Benita also highlight the importance of programs like the patient financial aid program and the many disparities in the healthcare system. Tune in to this week’s episode of the Project Purple Podcast to learn more about this motivating discussion.
If you’d like to read our blog about Benita and her PFA testimony, read Hope and Helping Hands: Benita Johnson Battles Pancreatic Cancer With The Help of Project Purple.
If you’d like to connect with Benita, she is active on LinkedIn!
