Michigan Woman Fired for Taking Leave to Care for Dying Daughter with Cancer- wna24

A Michigan woman has claimed that she was fired from her job after taking leave to care for her dying daughter. Terri Estepp, who had worked at Huntington Bank for 30 years, used both sick days and Family and Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA) to care for her daughter, Samantha, who was battling triple-negative breast cancer.

According to reports, Estepp used four of her 12 weeks of FMLA leave after exhausting all her paid leave days to care for her daughter.

Samantha was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in April 2023 while living in California. Her condition worsened over time, and she passed away in 2024 at the age of 31, just 10 days after her mother’s return to work.

Estepp shared that she wanted to be with her daughter during her treatment and, in accordance with federal law, took job-protected, unpaid leave for medical and family reasons.

When she returned to the office, Estepp requested additional time off. However, she was fired the same day, despite working in Detroit-based bank for years. “I was in complete shock. I wasn’t ready for something like this,” Estepp said.