Manchester Twp Cancer Survivor Honored at Jersey Shore BlueClaws Game

It was the perfect night for an RWJBarnabas Health Amazing Save, as cancer survivor Linda (Ferlie) Almonte of Manchester Twp., was recently honored at a Jersey Shore BlueClaws game, where she threw the ceremonial first pitch to a standing ovation at ShoreTown Ballpark.

Ferlie was living her best life as a motivational speaker, author, TV and podcast host, and confidence trainer when a routine mammogram changed her life forever. She felt no lumps, so it was a shock to be told that she had a very aggressive and rapidly growing type of breast cancer. Ferlie wasted no time, put her career on hold and chose to have a double mastectomy performed by Dr. Sumy Chang, breast surgeon with the RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group. Since then, she has been under the care of Dr. Horace Tang for ongoing oncology treatments that included chemotherapy, immunotherapy and hormone therapy.

Ferlie’s journey has not been easy. She has been to the emergency department 3 times, and was hospitalized 3 times in 6 months, including testing positive for Covid 19, to make her case even more challenging. Yet through the amazingly capable hands of the medical and nursing teams at Community Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Southern Campus, both RWJBarnabas Health facilities, this remarkable lady, with her indomitable fighting spirit and contagious positivity, has recovered so well.

Ferlie, who is scheduled to have her breast reconstruction surgery later in July, continues with her immunotherapy and hormone therapy to stop her cancer from coming back, and can’t wait to go on a cruise in Europe with her family this Fall.

RWJBarnabas Health is proud to be the official health care provider of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws.