An American Airlines flight attendant said she was accused of taking fraudulent medical leave linked to a cancer diagnosis., a union representing more than 25,000 members of cabin crew, Jeannine Schumacher said she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2019.
Schumacher, who's based in Phoenix and has been a flight attendant for 23 years, said she immediately began undergoing chemotherapy following her diagnosis, which continued for a year, and had eight surgeries in two years. Following successful treatment, Schumacher said she requested medical leave for reconstructive surgery, which her attendance manager appeared to informally approve over the phone for four consecutive months. , those diagnosed with breast cancer can often choose to undergo a mastectomy if trying to surgically remove the cancer is not possible or if the risk of recurrence is high.