North Carolina Woman, 40, Diagnosed With Stage Four ALK-Positive Lung Cancer After Months of Postpartum Cough, Fatigue and Weight Loss

Mayya Grinberg was diagnosed with stage four ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer, specifically adenocarcinoma of the lung that had already spread, after a series of medical visits that began with a persistent cough. Grinberg, 40, lives in Cary, North Carolina, with her husband and two children. Her son was 3 years old and her daughter was 7 months old at the time of diagnosis.

She had delivered her daughter in late 2024 or early 2025 after a pregnancy in which she gained little weight despite being a few months along by summer 2024. After the birth, Grinberg lost all 35 pounds of pregnancy weight within about six months without trying. She also developed a throat-clearing cough and crushing fatigue that left her lying in bed next to her baby’s bassinet.

By the end of April 2025, when the cough had lasted two months, she saw her general practitioner, who attributed it to allergies or heartburn and recommended Mucinex and hot showers. Grinberg went to urgent care immediately after that appointment. A chest X-ray showed haze on her lungs, and doctors prescribed antibiotics for suspected pneumonia.

Her initial bloodwork panel was normal. On Mother’s Day 2025 she returned to urgent care feeling worse. Additional bloodwork was ordered and she was sent to the emergency room for possible blood clot evaluation.

Doctors found a mass on her chest. Further scans, including a bronchoscopy that was inconclusive, led to a PET scan and a lymph node biopsy from her neck. The scans showed cancer had spread to many lymph nodes throughout her body.

The lung doctor who performed the bronchoscopy said he did not like what he saw and was committed to finding answers. Grinberg began treatment with a targeted therapy pill for ALK-positive lung cancer. The therapy initially eliminated her symptoms, but the cancer later progressed, and she is now receiving chemotherapy in addition to targeted treatment.

She has documented her experience on TikTok under the handle @mayyapapayya6. Grinberg said she never smoked, exercised regularly, cooked healthy food and stayed current with health screenings.

U.S. Have either never smoked or smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. She also said she obtained second opinions and found support through the ALK Positive group.