Remembering Jean Marie McPherson: A Mother’s Strength and a Daughter’s Promise

When Jean Marie McPherson was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer in May 2019, her daughter Sloane remembers feeling her world stop.

“My first reaction to my mother being diagnosed was, ‘This can’t be happening to us.’ You never think you’re going to end up being one of those families.”

The diagnosis came completely by accident. Jean had gone in for an MRI for an unrelated issue — but that test revealed what no one expected: advanced kidney cancer that had likely been growing silently for more than twenty years.

“She knew deep down that something was wrong, but she couldn’t get anyone to listen — not even me. When the doctors said it had probably been there for decades, I was in disbelief.”

For Sloane, the news brought shock, guilt, and heartbreak — but also a determination to stay strong for the woman who had always been her anchor.

A Lifetime of Strength

Jean was no stranger to defying the odds. In the 1980s, she survived cryptococcal meningitis — a rare and deadly infection — when doctors gave her only a 2% chance of survival. She was one of the very few known survivors of that time.

So when kidney cancer appeared decades later, Sloane leaned on that history of resilience.

“After the doctor told us the news, my thoughts went to her already surviving once. Miracles happen all the time, right? I wanted to believe this could happen again.”

Jean, ever steady and calm, didn’t show fear. She took the diagnosis with quiet grace, while Sloane and her sister vowed to stay by her side every step of the way.

A Mother’s Fight

Jean began immunotherapy shortly after her diagnosis, but complications led doctors to recommend surgery. In August 2019, she underwent a procedure to remove her left kidney, adrenal glands, and lymph nodes.

Sadly, she never came home.

On October 25, 2019, Jean passed away, just shy of her 70th birthday.

“She fought a good fight, but God called her Home,” Sloane shares. “I still remain in disbelief and shock every day. Life will never quite be the same. Cancer is ugly. Cancer is cruel. Cancer is selfish.”

A Daughter’s Path to Healing

Sloane continues to find healing in small, meaningful ways. She has embraced yoga and fishing, spending quiet time with her fiancé and his children — cooking, playing games, and cherishing family movie nights.

“I’m trying to grieve and heal in the best and safest ways possible. My fiancé and my sister have been my greatest support system. We were right beside my mother every step of the way, and now we walk this new path together.”

Through every wave of grief, Sloane feels her mother’s presence.

“I know deep down that my mother walks with me every day. She is my guardian angel.”

Sloane’s Advice to Others

“Get a second opinion — even a third or fourth. Know your options. Follow your heart and your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, say something and don’t stop until someone listens.

If you have people supporting you, make sure they don’t misguide you or pressure you into choices you’re not comfortable with.

You have the power to speak up — it may be your loved one’s battle, but you’re living it too. Most importantly, never give up and never stop hoping. Miracles do happen. God has a plan for each of us. You are stronger than you think.”

A Legacy of Love

Jean Marie McPherson’s story is one of unbreakable strength, faith, and love between a mother and her daughters. Though her time on earth was cut short, her impact continues through Sloane’s compassion, her advocacy, and her desire to bring awareness to kidney cancer.

“No family can fight cancer alone — and no one should have to. My hope is that every family who reads this finds peace and cherishes every second with the people they love.”

Jean’s courage and grace live on through her daughter — and through every family who continues to climb in her honor.