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Jillian Breslin, originally from East Meadow and living in Astoria, Queens, died Monday, Jan. 29 at the age of 35, her obituary said.
Her death followed a “courageous” nine-month battle with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer, according to a GoFundMe created by relatives.
Breslin was first diagnosed in May 2023, while five months pregnant with a daughter-to-be, after suffering pains returning from a family trip to Disney World.
“Jill went to the hospital for pains that were assumed to be side effects of pregnancy,” Michael Breslin said. “Tragically, she was diagnosed with triple negative metastatic breast cancer that had spread to the lungs, liver, bones and brain.”
Breslin and her husband were then forced to make the “impossible” decision to sacrifice their baby in an effort to save her life with treatment, Mr. Breslin said.
In October 2023, her optimism shone through in a Facebook post in which she vowed to beat her illness and encouraged family and friends to join her at an American Cancer Society fundraiser walk at Jones Beach.
“I've experienced firsthand the power of research and medical advancements and will beat the odds with you all by my side,” she wrote on Facebook.
Breslin’s husband James now faces life as a single father to the couple’s 2-year-old daughter, Emilia, as well as a single-income household with mounting medical and memorial expenses.
“We know nothing would make Jill happier than to know James and her beloved daughter, Emilia Blue, are getting the help they need,” Michael Breslin said on GoFundMe.
“Jill was a tremendous spirit who made life better for anyone that was lucky enough to be in her orbit,” he continued. “Beautiful, funny, smart. Jill was creative, stylish and lived every moment of life to the fullest. There was no one like Jill.”
Relatives said a celebration of life for Breslin will be held at a later date.
Triple-negative metastatic breast cancer – so named because its cells don’t have estrogen or progesterone receptors – accounts for 15 to 20 percent of all breast cancers, according to the National Institute of Health.
It tends to grow and spread faster than other types of invasive breast cancer and is difficult to treat because of its low response to therapeutics, health officials said.
You can find more information on the prevention and early detection of cancer on the American Cancer Society’s website.
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