2-Time Cancer Survivor Honored As 'Hero' By Manalapan Mayor

MANALAPAN, NJ - When she was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, Amanda Ferraro says that the support of her family got her through many tough days. But while doctors, social workers and even friends and family showed encouragement, Ferraro says she was missing someone who understood what she was really going through.

“ I feel like people didn’t understand what it was really like to go through something like that, so I started a blog website and I posted everything,” Ferraro told Patch. “The good, the bad, the ugly. My mom shaving my hair, getting chemotherapy … I just wanted people to really see what cancer patients go through.”

In order to provide those with cancer comprehensive information and helpful resources, Ferraro has extensively blogged about her personal experiences, published feature articles and is slated to be featured in a medical journal for cancer awareness. She was also named the 2020 Mercer County Honored Hero by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s New Jersey Chapter, as her treatment took place in Mercer County. All remain achievements that paved the way for her latest accolade, which comes in the form of an Honored Hero award presented by Manalapan Township.

Ferraro was honored on Sept. 23 for her efforts by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Manalapan Township, complete with a proclamation declaring Ferraro a hero, according to the agenda of a Sept. 23 township committee meeting.

But despite her successful strides as an activist, Ferraro's work is far from over. The Manalapan resident dreams of being a motivational speaker and a coach to help families dealing with cancer. She continues to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to fund new medications and clinical trials and, through her blog Cancer Is An A--hole, encourage others with cancer that they are not alone.

“You don’t get a pamphlet, it’s not that easy,” she says. “I want to create that, I want to make that. I want to be that resource.”

"I Just Wanted Someone To Say 'I Understand'"

On her blog, Point Pleasant-born Ferraro has written about the physical, emotional and financial hardships of treatment. The Manalapan resident says that the representation of individuals with cancer is limited: while a GoFundMe page or a fundraising walk can seem trite, the hidden costs from hospital stays, gas mileage, food and other living expenses add up exponentially, especially for emergency visits - something the resident has dealt with firsthand.

In May 2017 at the age of 29, Ferraro was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia when her son Issac James was just three years old. She relapsed six months after she was told she was cancer free, this time with a 10 percent chance to live.

It was at this point when Ferraro started her website to write intimately about her experiences with cancer and become an advocate for prevention, services and support for individuals who are diagnosed. This goal to become an understanding companion to others with cancer stems from her own experience in treatment:

“The hospital was great, and the social worker was wonderful, she told me about links and stuff. But I felt a lot of my friends didn’t come to the hospital, or didn’t know how to handle the news," said Ferraro. "I didn’t have anyone to talk to. I could talk to my doctors but they don’t really understand it. So to have someone who has been through the experience that knows what I’m going through or can sit and listen but not really be a therapist. I wanted that peer-to-peer, I just wanted someone to say ‘I understand.’ That’s what I want to be for other people.”

Ferraro says that she is still fighting as hard as ever for cancer awareness and research funding. A virtual walk, Light The Night, on Oct. 17 invites participants across the world to join in to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (you can join Ferraro’s team here). Wear Orange Day for Leukemia will also be held in Manalapan on Oct. 14th to raise awareness for the disease.

But to the activist, it doesn't stop there.

“Cancer Is A Lot More Than We Think It Is”

While September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Ferraro says that awareness is much more than a walk, a fundraiser or a ribbon symbol.

“I’m just outspoken about this because I see cancer awareness, and everyone thinks it’s about a color, or a day or a ribbon,” said Ferraro. “Cancer is a lot more than we think it is, thinks we go through isn’t just going through treatment and then you’re done. There are lasting effects of cancer that are rarely ever talked about.”

She says that her Honored Hero recognition is not just for her, but for all cancer survivors. Ferraro says that representation is everything, and oftentimes individuals with cancer are not portrayed correctly in the public eye.

“A lot of times you don’t see cancer patients on TV that are honored, or what they’re going through. To see someone with cancer being honored or them caring about a disease is amazing, but a lot of times, family and friends don’t know what you’re going through," Ferraro said. "So as a cancer patient, I can help you because I know it. I’ve been there. Why not help other people and why not be an advocate for people who can’t be an advocate for themselves?”

Thanks for reading! Have a news tip? Email nicole.rosenthal@patch.com.

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