MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Throughout October, sports teams across the nation put on pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness month, but for Millersville football head coach J.C. Morgan, and his wife, Melissa, the fight is personal. For the Morgans, breast cancer isn't limited to a month. It is a disease that is fought every day. 

In August of 2020, Melissa was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer. She has forged forward through treatments, continuing her career as the assistant state director for the National Federation of Independent Business. After the diagnosis, the Morgans needed to learn more about metastatic breast cancer but soon discovered that research for stage four cancer was underfunded, as was the support for patients. 
 

The Morgans found METAvivor, an organization dedicated to the specific fight of women and men living with stage four metastatic breast cancer. METAvivor is the only organization in the U.S. dedicated to awarding annual stage four cancer research. According to METAvivor, only 2 to 5% of funds raised for breast cancer research go to metastatic breast cancer. Of the 200,000 Americans diagnosed with breast cancer each year, around 10% of those are stage four metastatic, and an additional 30% develop metastatic breast cancer. The goal of METAvivor is to transition metastatic breast cancer from a terminal diagnosis to a chronic, manageable disease with a decent quality of life. 

"The harsh reality is that stage four breast cancer is not considered survivable and that almost 40,000 men and women die of it each year," said J.C. "100% of every donation to METAvivor goes into metastatic breast cancer-specific research grants."

To support METAvivor's mission, the Morgans and Millersville football started a campaign to raise $5,000 for the organization during the month of October. Coach Morgan is personally donating $5 for every first down, $10 for every sack, $20 for a touchdown, $20 for a defensive turnover and $50 for a defensive or special teams touchdown. The team's performance against Shepherd generated $205 toward that pledge. The Millersville cheerleaders passed a bucket at Millersville's previous October home game and the total raised is now up to $3,944. Coach Morgan is encouraging Millersville supporters to join in the campaign to smash the $5,000 goal. Fans can donate to the team campaign by clicking here. 

"When I was first diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, we quickly realized it was something we did not know enough about despite our participation in breast cancer awareness events," said Melissa. "We are thankful to be able to raise awareness and to aid in the funding of lifesaving research and support for patients, like me, who live with metastatic breast cancer."

The Morgans are hopeful that the money raised in this campaign can help METAvivor continue its research and support other patients battling stage four metastatic breast cancer. 

"I am amazed by how Melissa has been fighting metastatic breast cancer," said J.C. "She maintains her professional career and continues to be an awesome wife and mother to our young daughters. She is showing us that life does not stop with this diagnosis. Through the treatments  she has received, she has been able to maintain a high quality of life. More must be done to support this mission so that the many people affected by this disease can still live a long and productive life. Stage four deserves more!"