JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman who has been battling breast cancer is also battling Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity as she’s missing her unemployment payments.
Schkether Terry was recovering from surgery and radiation when the pandemic hit the Sunshine State.
“With COVID being there, my oncologist would not release me to go back to work,” Terry said.
Terry joined the “unemployment maze.” No payments came in as her medical bills continued to rise.
“I would call and they would tell me it was a glitch,” Terry said.
That glitch still hasn’t been fixed.
“One month turned into two months, two months turned into four to six months, and it just goes on and on,” Terry said.
Now Terry is back to work, but she doesn’t have time to sit on the phone calling DEO for help.
Her job isn’t making up for the bills she stacked up while unemployed.
“On the 7th of this month I will be considered cancer-free,” Terry said proudly.
Terry has beaten cancer in less time than she’s waited for unemployment benefits.
“I never thought I’d be going through this ever,” Terry said.
Unemployment payments aren’t keeping terry afloat, but her dedicated family and friends are.
“I didn’t in a million years expect to go through something like this, but I didn’t let it get me down,” Terry said.