Tennessee woman mistakenly decalared dead by government

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WPVI) -- A Nashville, Tennessee woman who beat breast cancer is now fighting the federal government after they declared her dead.

The Social Security Administration reported that Deressa Marshall was deceased even though she was very much alive.

Marshall knew something was wrong when the life insurance company called her son.

She then went to the social security office to get the situation resolved.

And even though she produced her state-issued I.D. and social security card, the clerk told her she needed her birth certificate.

"By then I was furious because I felt like I was getting the runaround," samd Marshall. "It has interrupted every area of my life and it's sad that I had to result to these measures to get it fixed."

A spokesperson for the Social Security Administration said that while it is rare, sometimes living people are reported dead to the federal government.