Parkland leader’s cancer journey fuels her passion for supporting survivors
Cancer survivor now helps Parkland patients navigate treatment, recovery and survivorship
Marieshia Hicks Person, MHA, wants cancer survivors to know one thing: They are not alone. As Program Manager for Cancer Survivorship and Support Services at Parkland Health, she spends her days helping patients navigate the emotional, physical and practical realities of cancer. But her work is deeply personal.
In 2017, at age 35, Person began experiencing unexplained bleeding that eventually led to her first mammogram that initially suggested a noncancerous condition, but after months of symptoms and multiple surgeries, doctors discovered cancer.
“I got a phone call from my doctor on Labor Day,” Person shared. “She said, ‘We found cancer, and we’re going to have to go back in.’”
What followed was a series of operations as doctors struggled to achieve clear margins. Eventually, after additional precancerous findings in her other breast, Person made the difficult decision to undergo a double mastectomy in January 2018. She has been cancer-free ever since.
Throughout her journey, Person said her parents became her foundation, attending appointments and surgeries while helping her navigate the fear and uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis.
“When you first hear the word cancer, your immediate thought is, ‘This is going to kill me,’” she said. “My family just truly supported me through it.”
That experience now shapes how she approaches her work at Parkland every day.
“What motivates me is partially just an internal desire to be of service to others,” Person said. “But the other part is the experience that I’ve been through and the experience that so many of my loved ones have been through.”
She understands firsthand the anxiety, isolation and emotional toll cancer survivors often carry long after treatment ends.
“No one talked to me about survivorship,” she said. “No one talked to me about the mental health or the emotional side of cancer. I want our patients to know those resources exist and that they matter.”
At Parkland’s Cancer Program, patients have access to a wide range of support services designed to care for the whole person, not just treat the disease. Those services include behavioral health support, nutrition counseling, physical therapy, survivorship clinics, social work and genetic counseling.
Person is especially passionate about encouraging patients to prioritize mental health support throughout their cancer journey.
“Cancer affects our whole selves,” she said. “It doesn’t just affect us physically. It affects us mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We have to address all of those areas.”
She also encourages patients and families to advocate for themselves and trust their instincts.
“No one knows your body better than you do,” Person said. “It’s important for cancer patients to have advocates, but it’s also important to advocate for yourself.”
That spirit of connection and encouragement is something she works to foster among Parkland patients as well. One initiative she helped launch in the infusion center, called the Inspire Wall, allows patients to leave anonymous notes of encouragement for fellow patients undergoing treatment.
“Sometimes when you encourage other people, you encourage yourself too,” she said.
Today, Person’s life includes another milestone she once worried might not be possible. After cancer treatment affected her fertility, she later underwent IVF and welcomed her daughter, Ayah Iman Person, in 2024.
“She’s my soulmate and my whole heart,” Person said.
For Person, National Cancer Survivors Day is both a celebration and a reminder that survivorship is ongoing. “It’s recognition that we’re still here,” she said. “We’re still in this fight, and we’re supporting each other.”
Her message to current cancer patients is simple: “It’s hard, but keep fighting,” she said. “And know that at Parkland, we are a family. We are a community. We look out for one another, and our goal is to make sure you have what you need so you can fight this thing head on.”
And to cancer survivors everywhere, Person offers one final message. “I love you.”
For more information on cancer and cancer treatment at Parkland, visit www.cancer.parklandhealth.org/cancer/oncology-hub-homepage. For more information about Parkland services, visit www.parklandhealth.org.
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