Teacher Worked During Cancer Treatment, Tears Over Her ‘Shocking’ Paycheck
Summary
Stephanie Villaronga, a New York City third-grade teacher, kept working through her breast cancer treatments but faced unexpected financial difficulties due to how her pay and insurance worked during medical leave. Despite continuing to teach, she lost most of her summer pay and received insurance demands for repayment while still undergoing treatment.Key Facts
- Stephanie Villaronga was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer in April 2025 at age 29.
- She continued working through 16 rounds of chemotherapy and other treatments whenever her health allowed.
- New York City spreads teachers’ yearly pay over 12 months, including summer, but extended leave lowers summer pay if paid days are fewer.
- Villaronga needed a double mastectomy in December 2025 and took four months of medical leave afterward.
- Upon returning to work, she received a letter from her insurance requiring repayment of deducted amounts while on leave.
- She also lost almost all her summer pay because she didn’t work the full 10-month school year due to her medical leave.
- Villaronga ended up receiving less than 20% of her normal pay when she resumed teaching during active cancer treatment.
- She compared this to her maternity leave experience, where her regular pay resumed smoothly after leave ended.
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