This is a heart-wrenching story that has a better ending now than it had when it began.

Sykesville resident Lynn McKain was told in June that she could start planning for retirement. Her breast cancer, diagnosed in summer of 2008 was finally showing improvement and she was ready to start living again.

In celebration, McKain went home and purchased round trip airline tickets for a family vacation to Belize in honor of her sister’s 50th birthday with her husband, sister, brother in-law and niece.

The avid swimmer completed a 100-mile swim in 100 days this summer and worked as the communications director at McDonough School in Owings Mills, living the life she looked forward to for more than two years.

Then her worst nightmare came true in October. On her 53rd birthday McKain was told her cancer was back. This time she was terminal, according to her doctor, suffering from stage four breast cancer that spread to her bones and gastrointestinal tract.

“I can’t really do much. I have chemo treatments once a week for two weeks and then off for one week,” said McKain. “We’re hoping that they do something, because it’s my only hope.”

Because of her diagnosis, she was forced to take leave from her job and her doctor told her she couldn’t travel, meaning her dream trip to Belize had to be canceled.

“I’m too sick to travel, I’m too sick to work, I’m too sick to do much of anything, so my husband began to contact U.S Airways to try to get a refund,” said McKain.

The couple had no issue getting a refund for the resort condo complex they reserved for their trip scheduled for Jan. 21 through 28 of 2012, but when it came to the airline tickets, the ones the McKain’s purchased were “economy priced,” with a clear “no refund” clause.

Despite a letter from her doctor outlining her illness as life-threatening, U.S. Airways stood by its policy stating that the McKains would not receive any money back for their $4,200 round-trip ticket.

“Non-refundable tickets present the most economical fairs. However, they are also one of the more restrictive tickets,” read a statement from customer relations at the U.S. Airways Corporate Office. "Additionally, U.S. Airways does not have a medical clause on our non-refundable tickets.”

McKain said she was heartbroken.

But that was Nov. 6. Three weeks later, U.S. Airways officials notified the McKains they would receive a refund.

"I am so relieved that U.S. Airways finally did the right thing," Lynn McKain said in an e-mail to Patch. "I really hope the airline will re-evaluate its policy and show compassion to others in situations similar to mine."

McKain said she and her friends and family had never given up and continued to lobby the airline.

“At this point I have to be hopeful for both the cancer treatment and the successful resolution of this situation. I’m going to keep fighting both,” she said earlier.