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Prior to receiving her breast cancer diagnosis, Michelle Johnson could never have imagined walking away from her high-powered career in public service. As a county administrator, Johnson spent years pouring her heart and soul into her work, inspired by her passion for the community she grew up in. But after learning she had breast cancer, she realized she needed to make a change.

As a native of Charles City County, Virginia, Johnson has a special place in her heart for the close-knit, rural community, southeast of Richmond. After graduating from Virginia State University and exploring different jobs and cities, she ended up returning to the place that shaped her into who she is today. 

“Nobody could’ve ever told me when I graduated that I would be moving back to Charles City or being in that role. But, once I got my feet wet, I absolutely loved it,” she said. 

She spent more than 20 years serving in local government, and during the last seven years of that time, served as the county administrator of Charles City County. Johnson loved her job and the ability to create tangible change in the community. From building a library and establishing high-speed internet access to building a fire station and recruiting a 24-hour EMS crew, she was instrumental in developing life-changing improvements for residents. 

While she loved her work, it became her number-one priority, and she started to put herself on the back burner. For Johnson, working nights and having little time for herself became the norm, so it wasn’t unusual for her own needs to fall by the wayside. 

But she received a wake-up call when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2024. 

What began as a burning sensation in her breast led her to schedule an overdue mammogram, which then turned into follow-up testing with an ultrasound and biopsy. A week later, she heard the words no one wants to hear, “You have cancer.”

Following her diagnosis, Johnson knew that leaving her job was the right, although difficult, move for her.  

“After some soul searching, my first thought was, ‘I have to leave my role.’ It was crazy how my life involved my job in everything, but in an instant, that was my last thought. I walked away and never looked back because I knew I had to fight with everything in me,” Johnson said. “I believe God was telling me to walk away because he knew the battle I was getting ready to face, and I listened to his voice.”

A personal connection to Massey

Having previously worked with VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Katherine Tossas, Ph.D., M.S., and former director Robert A. Winn, M.D., for the center’s Chickahominy TRUTH Project, Johnson knew who to call when she received the news. 

Tossas and Winn helped ensure that she would be treated by Mary Helen Hackney, M.D., M.S., FACP, an oncologist at Massey whom she shared a special connection with.

Johnson initially met Hackney when she worked as a front desk clerk in the radiation department at Massey shortly after graduating from college. Her mother was experiencing her own battle with breast cancer at the time, so Johnson asked Hackney if she could take on her mother as a patient. 

“My mom was diagnosed when I was 13. The year before she passed, she celebrated 25 years of remission, and Dr. Hackney treated her for about 15 of those years,” Johnson said.

With a great deal of trust already established from that experience, she knew that she wanted Hackney to lead her treatment once she had her own breast cancer to fight. 

“It’s not uncommon that we see families or that we take care of families and multiple generations,” said Hackney. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, but we know that having breast cancer in one family member does increase your risk a little bit.”

Tackling her treatment plan

Johnson recalls the first time she saw Hackney as a patient. 

“I never wanted you to be one of my patients,” Johnson recalls Hackney telling her. 

But Johnson was glad that she had the opportunity to receive the same personalized care that her mother did. 

“One of the things that Massey’s been really proud of is our Breast Cancer Collaborative Care Clinic,” said Hackney. “We collaborate across disciplines to develop great care plans.”

When the diagnosis of ER+/PR+ (estrogen receptor-positive and progesterone receptor-positive) was first given to her, a lumpectomy was the original plan for treatment, but after further testing, a second type of cancer, HER2-negative, was found in her lymph nodes. 

To tackle the spreading cancer, she underwent a double mastectomy and lymph node removal, along with six rounds of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation. 

“I just grabbed it by the horns and was like, ‘Cancer picked the wrong person to fight with,’” said Johnson. “The great thing for me is that I was a caregiver for my mom, so I had the blueprint on how to fight the disease and live a quality life.” 

Learn more about breast cancer treatment options available at Massey.

Leaning on support

In the same way that Johnson cared for her mother through breast cancer treatment, her son, Victor, stood by her side every step of the way. 

“There were definitely some darker days, but we made a decision to fight,” Victor said. “After reflecting on it and going through that, it only made us stronger.”

For Johnson, having the support of her son and family was instrumental in having the strength to persevere through her treatments. 

Her community was also right by her side every step of the way. 

“When I came home from the hospital, there were so many flower arrangements that had been delivered. Community members participated in a meal train. I had people come to cut my grass, whatever I needed.” 

Spreading awareness

Now cancer-free, Johnson has graduated to coming in for follow-up appointments every six months and is continuing on her journey of wellness and prioritizing what truly matters - her health. 

She has a mission to spread awareness about breast cancer to ensure others have the knowledge to advocate for themselves and consider all of their treatment options. 

She also wants to amplify her own story to inspire other women with demanding careers to maintain work-life balance, prevent burnout before it happens and take care of their health. 

“Now, as I’m building my own company, my health, my eating habits, my workouts, that’s the priority. I had the formula all wrong before.” 

Written by: Tatiana Del Valle