In 2022, Trisha Goddard, 66, a broadcast journalist, was enjoying good health and spending time in both the UK and Connecticut with her partner, Allen. Her work kept her busy and in her free time she was learning how to ice skate. Goddard, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, had clear scans for the past 10-plus years. She felt well – until she suffered a serious fall at home and wound up in the emergency room.

“I was in so much pain,” Goddard recalled of her trip to Stamford Health’s emergency department. There, she learned her cancer had returned and spread to her bones.

"That was the first I heard that the cancer had come back. And the first thing I asked was: 'Am I going to die?'" Goddard told HELLO! Magazine.

At the time, Goddard and her now-husband were planning their wedding. She kept the recurrence from her friends and colleagues, and following the ceremony she underwent a partial hip replacement. Then on September 1, 2022, Goddard began treatment for stage 4 breast cancer, or metastatic breast cancer, at Stamford Health. Metastatic breast cancer means the cancer has spread to different organs or lymph nodes far from the breast. These types of cancers are considered incurable, though treatment can often shrink tumors and improve quality of life.

Goddard’s doctor in the UK worked closely with her medical oncologist at Stamford Health, Dr. Steven Lo. She had three weeks of radiation and over four months of chemotherapy. Today, Goddard has treatment every three weeks. Throughout her treatment, Goddard kept up with her demanding schedule – working most days of the week including hosting broadcasts for three hours on Saturdays and Sundays.

Goddard admits she has hit some low points during her treatment. The Bennett Cancer Center social worker noticed and referred her to a psychotherapist who she now sees every week.

“I want women to know that their mental health shouldn’t be overlooked,” she said. “If your mood is low, go get help. Don’t just say you’re grateful to receive treatment – seek further treatment if you’re not sleeping or depressed. You don’t need to suffer.”

Goddard went public with her diagnosis in February 2024, and hopes to share her story so other women realize that a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence.

“My life doesn’t look unlike how it did before,” she said. “I have components and support in place to help me thrive. I look at it (my diagnosis) as a chronic illness – something that can be managed.”

Goddard saw a physiatrist Tully Health Center who helped her create a fitness plan to support her health goals. She now works out three times a week.

“This disease can make your world shrink if you let it,” she said. Goddard has no intention of letting that happen.